The Cure for Self-Pity

I posted a while back a quote by Piper on self-pity. I am not struggling with self-pity these days in a big way, but it got me to thinking about how I might be in little ways. You know, as moms we are inconvenienced, interrupted all day long. If we have a "poor me" attitude, which is so very selfish, then we could get a little agitated! We can start to feel a little self-pity. This all sounds so terrible, but please moms, you have to relate to what I'm saying, right?? I can't be the only one that struggles with MY time, MY phone call, or MY chores, even though it might be something for my kids, like preparing their lunch! My friend Jenni calls motherhood the "mission of interruptions!" So true I think. As mommies who work hard all day, everyday caring for our little blessings and the home we might be tempted to feel sorry for ourselves sometimes. My friend Jennifer wrote a post a while back on her blog about "Putting on Thankfulness." I realized as I read the post that the cure for self-pity, the cure for grumpiness or a bad attitude is thankfulness! She was right! It truly is!
So, to step back and take a look at the gifts of God to us...are you saved? Are you a believer in the Lord Jesus? If you are, then right there you have more blessing, more than you could EVER hope to be blessed with by our Holy God! We are deserving of nothing! Nothing except for death. Absolutely nothing because of our sin, BUT because He is such a GREAT God, because He is so loving, so full of grace, He has loved us while we were still in our sin. He took us from death to life! Do you think you had a part in that? Do you think you were wise in choosing Him? Do you think you did your part? If so, I beg you to reconsider. While in our sin, we loved the darkness and hated the light. There was nothing in us that could ever want a holy God except for the faith that He gifted to us to be able to believe!!! Even the faith to look to Him is His gift to us.
When we consider this free gift, this amazing, unfathomable gift of salvation, doesn't it sort of make the trials, the inconveniences pale in its light? Are you thankful for your salvation? Have you thanked the Lord lately for saving you and having mercy on your soul...a sinner who deserves death? I am thankful today and looking forward to heaven. I still have the same trials and burdens that I bore yesterday, yes, but He promises us even more blessings friends on top of our salvation! He promises us wisdom, faith, joy, satisfaction, love, patience, kindness, faithfulness and even peace in the midst of all of this stuff life throws at us. "I will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Me because He trusts in me." Isaiah 26:3. If we are abiding in Him, if we are fixed on Him, if we are stayed on Him, He will bless us through His Spirit in unbelievable ways. He delights in doing that.

What are you thankful for today? Are you thankful for His love, His forgiveness, His peace, His provision? Are you thankful for the gift of God himself? His presence, His Father heart toward us, His Son, His Spirit? Let's "put on thankfulness" together today and thank God for the greatest gift He could possibly give us...His only Son in exchange for our wretched soul.