667 Cancel the Pity Party

Have you ever felt sorry for yourself? Overwhelmed with all your problems, defeated by your circumstances, disappointed in your progress, and just been down. Down wallowing. Wallowing in all that has gone wrong for you and all that could go wrong. Girl, let me make this real simple for us all … you’re entirely too powerful, too valuable, and too capable to be wallowing around in your own life. Life is hard. It’s meant to be hard. It’s what makes it beautiful and priceless … and it’s what makes you better! My daughter Alexa is a soldier in the Army. Growing up she hated camping. Our family camping trips were like a punishment to her and she would spend the entire time miserable. Yesterday I received a photo from her with her face painted in camouflage, in the woods of Germany where she’s been training and sleeping in a tent for 2 months. AND SHE’S HAPPY. Does she love it … probably not … the girl loves to wear high heels and shop, but she’s made up her mind to do the best she can with what she has been given and that makes a world of difference. Last summer as she was leaving for basic training in the Army, her older brother who is also a soldier gave her a pep talk and a list of advice. He said the most important thing is DON’T FEEL SORRY FOR YOURSELF. It’s the ones who feel sorry for themselves that don’t make it. They’re the ones who struggle the most. The ones who reach their limit with untapped potential still within. The ones who will look back with regret. Have you been feeling sorry for yourself? Understand you can be pitiful or you can be powerful, but you can’t be both. God didn’t create you with all this potential and place his power within you so you could be pitiful. There’s not a single thing about you or about your life that warrants self-pity. Buck up big girl, this is life! Are you going to show up for it and do this thing, or are you going to shrink back, play little and wish it were easier. An easier life does one thing … it makes you lazier. With ease we become complacent and eventually grow ungrateful. Stop wishing it were easier. Ease is not your friend. Ease slowly rocks you into a corner where life becomes small and you’re living as a watered down, tamed version of the beast you were created to be. Yes, I said it … you were created to be a beast! Someone who can conquer challenges. Someone who can go through the valleys and climb those mountains. Someone who can handle the storm, walk through the fire, get knocked down and get back up again. You were created to be powerful, not pitiful! As a 19 year old newlywed I was faced with a major challenge. A blood clot had lodged in my brain stem for 8 hours causing a major stroke, leaving me unable to walk or talk. And God had given me the greatest gift in the form of a husband who was a beast. Lonnie was a young soldier and he had been trained to tackle a challenge head on, never back down, show up and do what needs to be done. While I lay in a bed drooling, he never once felt sorry for me. He never offered me pity. He offered me power. He pushed me to do the impossible. God worked through that man to help me reclaim my power and ultimately my life. This is what we need today. People pushing us instead of pitying us. Get over the woah-is-me pity party, shut it down, there’s no success to be found there. Pity parties are a gathering of the losers in life. Yes, I know that sounds harsh and I mean it to. Don’t be a loser! James 1: 2-4 says “Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” Hey, what if God has allowed your current circumstances for a greater purpose than you have...