My greatest weakness lies in this…that I should allow myself the luxury of feeling sorry for myself. For this is when I grow more selfish, demanding and self centred. And this is the doorway to let myself feel miserable and depressed. Feeling sorry for myself, in reality, means that I am dissatisfied with God’s plan for my life, and with his ability to give me strength in hard circumstances. Feeling sorry for myself allows me to get angry when others wrong me, to be forgiving only as I chose to forgive, not as Christ has forgiven me!
Does this mean I should be a door mat… never setting boundaries and always being overwhelmed by constantly having to forgiving repeated sins…far be it from the truth. We are always to constantly strive to work together as a team, honouring God as best we can in all we do. And sometimes it means pointing another in the right direction or saying…’hay that hurts, you cannot keep behaving like that, please can you change that.’
The problem arises though in that people cannot be changed by the likes of you and me. For it is only God who can truly change and mould a heart and life. He can use us for sure, through example and prayer. But we cannot do his work for Him for this is His ‘soul work’. And when we cannot change a person therein lies the issue of frustration and then there is the temptation to grow weary of doing good and to feel sorry for oneself. There is never an excuse for ‘feeling sorry for myself’…and besides there is a much better life in giving more than one receives. You know in 'considering our trials pure joy' is peace, freedom, real exuberant living without the clutter of the junky emotions that go alongside ‘feeling sorry for myself"
more aptly put by Spurgeon....
"Here--put your troubles here!"
(Charles Spurgeon)
"Cast your burden on the Lord--and He will sustain you." Psalm 55:21
Cast your troubles where you have cast your sins; you have cast your sins onto Jesus--cast your troubles there also! As soon as the trouble comes, quick, the first thing, tell it to your Father in heaven! Remember, that the longer you take telling your trouble to God--the more your peace will be impaired. The longer the frost lasts--the more likely the ponds will be frozen.
Oh! It is a happy way of smoothing sorrow, when we can cast our burden upon the Lord. Oh, you agitated Christians, do not dishonor your religion by always wearing a 'frown of concern'. Come, cast your burden upon the Lord. I see you staggering beneath a weight, which He would not feel. What seems to you a crushing burden--would be nothing but a bit of dust to Him. See! The Almighty bends His shoulders, and He says, "Here--put your troubles here!"
"Cast all your cares upon Him--because He cares about you!" 1 Peter 5:7
This was taken from today’s 'Grace Gems', see http://www.gracegems.org/
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