Self-Pity – Deception that Blinds
As Christians, we should never feel sorry for ourselves. The moment we do so, we lose our energy, we lose the will to fight and the will to live, and are paralysed. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Self-pity can be toxic. It can permeate our lives and numb us to the reality of what’s happening in our world and the world around us. We feel threatened and allow ourselves to believe things that are not true. We become deceived.
This is what happened to Elijah. 1 Kings 19 tells the story of Elijah when he fled from Jezebel. Elijah had just celebrated an amazing victory on Mount Carmel. He had demonstrated that Yahweh, the one true God of Israel, was more powerful than the false gods of Baal. Yet he fled under threat of death by the wicked queen Jezebel, who worshipped the false gods and encouraged Israel to do the same. She was not happy that her prophets had been defeated and wanted to avenge them. Elijah finds himself alone in the wilderness, under a broom tree, afraid and discouraged. He is discouraged because he believes his demonstration on Mount Carmel had not brought about what he had hoped – Israel turning to God and worshipping Yahweh instead of the false gods. Elijah felt sorry for himself and wanted to die (1 Kings 19:4).
But God leads Elijah to a cave in Horeb and gives him a wake-up call when he asks him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” When Elijah answers God, it is evident that he had believed a lie. He has the false perception that all the prophets have been killed and he is the only prophet left in Israel who is still worshipping Yahweh (1Kings 19:14). Today, we would call this “fake news.” God does not respond to Elijah by placating him; instead, He speaks to him about the assignment that He has for him. He is, in essence, telling Elijah that He knows what has happened. He knows what Elijah has gone through, but there are bigger things at stake – the fulfilment of God’s promises.
Fake News
There are times when we’ve felt like Elijah. We feel that we’ve failed. We feel misunderstood and threatened by others. We have the false belief that we are alone. We believe the fake news about everyone being against us, and we believe we have to fight this perceived battle ourselves. We even feel that God is against us. We sit under our proverbial broom tree, sulking and feeling sorry for ourselves. When we wallow in our self-pity, we are deceived into believing lies about ourselves and our situation. Our deception blinds us to the truth. It blinds us to the almighty and all-powerful God we serve. It blinds us to our faithful God, who has a purpose for our lives and will fulfil His promises to us. It blinds us to the truth in His Word that says:
“This I know, that God is for me (Psalm 56:9 ESV)
“I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you. (Psalm 32:8 NLT)
“Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” (Deuteronomy 31:8 NLT)
Reflection
Have there been times in your life when you have felt like Elijah sitting under the broom tree? Perhaps you are in that place now. Take time to think about the things that are causing you to feel sorry for yourself. Are these things true, or are you being deceived into thinking they are true? What would your answer be to God if He should ask you as He did Elijah, “What are you doing here?”
Prayer
Thank You, Lord, that You see my discouragement, my fears, my loneliness. Open my eyes, Lord, to see the truth about my situation. Help me see the deception blinding me to the truth of what’s happening in my life and the truth in Your Word. Thank You, Lord, that You are for me, and not against me. Thank you for guiding me. Watch over me, Lord and help me to see the best pathway You have for my life. Lord, I believe Your Word that says that You will never fail or abandon me. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
