No sin is worse than the sin of self-pity, because it obliterates God and puts self-interest upon the throne. Oswald Chambers
If you’ve experienced a severe and long-standing medical condition, you know how much time, money, and psychological determination it takes—especially at the beginning. I had fistfuls of medications to take, endless doctors’ appointments, and relentless bills to pay. I suffered from myriad pains, aches, and discomforts, along with the side-effects of the drugs. These hardships vied for my constant attention, which was exacerbated by questions from well-meaning loved ones who wanted to know the details of my condition so they could pray.
I decided early on that I didn’t want the “victim virus” to take over my mind or my mouth, because I quickly noticed that whenever I succumbed to victimhood, “poor me” kept stumbling around in the dark, delaying my progress through the murky shadows. As Eugene H. Peterson writes, “God feels our pains, but he does not indulge our self-pity.”
[An excerpt from my book: The Other End of the Dark]
