If it wasn’t for bad luck I’d have no luck at all.
Why is everybody always picking on me?
You think you’ve had it bad? You haven’t heard anything!
Pity parties are the most planned and celebrated events in the lives of some people. Some go to extravagant lengths to ensure that the party guests are well equipped and prepared to celebrate in their self-indulgent feast. Invitations are sent well in advance to insure that everyone invited can be apart of the pity extravaganza. It doesn’t matter if you're friends with the host or not, you can come and enjoy the fun and dreadful excitement.
My motives were clean; I was just trying to be nice. I walked up to a lady in our church one Sunday morning and made the mistake of asking the age old question, “How are you doing today?” I was hoping for a simple, “I’m fine, how are you?” Is that too much to ask? I certainly was not prepared for what came next… It was as if all of a sudden I had been sucked into a black hole of self-absorbed misery and discontentment. For the next twenty minutes, this “faith-filled” woman full of “joy” and “confidence” shared with me the horrors of her life. I learned things about her past and miserable present that made me nauseous and quite frankly, delusional. I tried to escape, but there was nowhere to run. I had been forced to celebrate in this woman’s impressive display of pity. “No one cares about me. I was sick and no one even called to see if I was still breathing. The whole world is against me. Even my family ignores me…” Couldn’t this woman see the distress and shock in my face? Did she not notice the sheer terror that beamed from my complexion? Do I look like a trash can? Why me? Lord, Why???? When she had finally emptied her self-absorbed sympathy tank, she quietly walked away. I felt like I had just been broad-sided by a party wagon of pity. Everyone around the scene of the crime just pointed and laughed at me. They witnessed the agony that stole twenty minutes of my life and did absolutely nothing about it. (That’s another story!)
Have you ever been there? Maybe you were the one who unloaded and shared your misery. At some point we’ve all done it. None of us are innocent. We have all tried to plan and throw pity parties that would make New Years Eve at Times Square look like a Sunday school picnic. It's human nature. Misery always seems to need and want company. So much time and energy has been wasted by people trying to find sympathy and approval from others. Pity has robbed and hurt so many of the joy and victory they can possess in this life. The only person who always RSVP’s to every pity party is Satan. He has always, and will never miss a party thrown in the honor of pity!
In order to move on and receive the full blessing and promises of God in our lives, we must take a stand against selfish pride and pity. All of us could go off the deep end and complain about everything and everyone in our lives. Each of us have had times of pain and discontentment, times when everyone seemed to ignore us and walk right by not noticing our pain.
Take the Apostle Paul. He had plenty of chances to throw in the towel and have a party. He went through some crazy stuff! Listen to what he says, “I’ve been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches." (paraphrase) 2 Corinthians 11:23-28
Even Jesus had opportunities to embrace and wallow in self pity. He was persecuted, slandered, disowned by His own people, betrayed and ultimately crucified. He didn’t give pity a second glance. He had no time for it. He was on a mission, and He completed His purpose. We must get over ourselves and walk in the joy and hope we’ve been given.
Do everyone, including yourself, a favor: quit throwing pity parties! Put on the strength and confidence of God. Get in the Word of God until it gets in you! Walk in the freedom of the Spirit! Learn to laugh in the face of adversity and pain because the Greater One is living in you! We cannot receive God’s best for our life wallowing in the gutter of pity. Decide right now to not to give pity a place in your life ever again.
