Yesterday I took a “selfie.” It wasn’t flattering. In fact, it was downright ugly, and I wish I could have deleted it.

I’m not talking about a picture taken with my phone. The “selfie” I’m talking about was self pity.

I’m usually an optimistic person, but something happened yesterday that completely threw me off. Before I knew it, I had fallen into a downward spiral that left me discouraged and practically useless for the rest of the day.

It started with an announcement about someone else’s good fortune. I should have been happy for them. Instead, my thoughts immediately turned inward.

Why can’t I get a break like that? Why do I have to work so hard for things that seem to come so easily to others?

You know how it goes. One negative thought leads to another, and before long, you’re living inside a story that may not even be true.

By the end of the day, I was ready to throw in the towel.

This morning, I woke up wishing I could press a delete button and erase yesterday. How could I have wasted an entire day consumed by self pity?

Then I sensed God reminding me of something important:

I had failed to take my thoughts captive. Instead, my thoughts had taken me captive.

Paul wrote:

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
2 Corinthians 10:5

When the thought said, “It’s not fair,” I should have answered, “God decides what is fair.”

When the thought said, “Your hard work isn’t appreciated,” I should have answered, “I live my life before an audience of One. His approval is enough.”

When the thought said, “Your dreams are never going to happen,” I should have answered with the truth of God’s Word instead of allowing the lie to take root.

I didn’t do that yesterday. I let the thoughts run wild, and they nearly convinced me to give up.

Maybe you’ve been there too.

Self pity has a way of turning our attention completely inward. We begin measuring our lives against someone else’s. We focus on what they have, what they’ve accomplished, or how easy their journey appears. Before long, we can become so focused on ourselves that we lose sight of God.

That’s exactly where the enemy wants us.

So how do you delete a “selfie” of self pity?

1. Acknowledge it and ask God for forgiveness.
Don’t pretend those thoughts aren’t there. Bring them honestly before God.

2. Replace the lie with truth.
When a negative thought takes hold, find Scripture that speaks truth to that thought. Let God’s Word have the final say.

3. Refuse to let the enemy win.
Take the disappointment, frustration, or setback and use it as fuel to keep moving forward. Don’t allow one difficult day to write the story of your life.

Yesterday, I let self pity get the better of me.

Today, I’m taking my thoughts captive and moving forward.

The dream the enemy was trying to steal from me is still alive. I want the story of my life to make a difference in someone else’s life. I want my experiences, including the difficult ones, to point people toward God.

Maybe you need to delete your “selfie” today too.

You don’t have to be held captive by self pity. You can acknowledge the lie, replace it with truth, and take the next step forward.

Don’t let yesterday’s thoughts become tomorrow’s prison.

Additional Resources

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