"Pity Party?" - by Rev. Weldon Bares

Pity parties are not fun. There is no music. No laughter. We are sometimes the host of such parties in our lives. They are never joyous events.

Helen Keller’s life had much darkness and silence, but she once said, “Self-pity is our worst enemy, and if we yield to it, we can never do anything wise in this world.”

Consider someone else who had every reason to throw a pity party. He had little education and little money. He had no children. In fact, he never married.

His brothers and sisters rejected him. People lied about him. He was falsely accused, arrested and executed for something he did not do.

Who is this man? A rabbi from ancient Palestine, Jesus of Nazareth. He had quite a few reasons to throw a major pity-party. But he didn't. Instead he said, "I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you." (John 15:11)

I just believe that somehow the holy presence of God can make a big difference in our lives. The psalmist affirmed, “In your presence there is fullness of joy.” (Psalm 16:11)

The next time that we are tempted to throw a pity party, let's invite a special guest. Let's invite Jesus Christ. He sure makes a difference. Maybe he will even turn water into wine for us.