Our Pity Party For One

This got mentioned briefly in church today, but it stood out to me as God's "You there. Yeah, you. Say this." So I'm saying this.

1 Kings 19. We see Elijah flea from Jezebel. But what stood out to me the most today was his conversation.

God is like, "What are you doing here Elijah." (Now the sarcastic me would have said, "You brought me here." Thankfully, it wasn't me.)

Elijah says, "I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away."

God then gives Elijah a list of  instructions, and then says this, "Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth with hath not kissed him."

I think one of our most common vices as selfish, self-involved humans is thinking it's just us. We are the only one going through whatever it is we are going through. And it's all about us.

Oh, this passage has got to sting us sometimes.

We are not the only ones. We are not alone. God-lovers are all over the world, all of them going through situations in life that are similar to your problems.

Part of this conversation was God saying, (This isn't a quote, ya'll.) "Dude, you are not alone. You never were. There are people all over, just like you, who feel just like you. But ya'll need to knock it off! You were never alone! So, please, please, stop with the party for one."

Don't slip into a Pity Party For One mode. Don't waste your time with that.

---Joy