Why me, why now?

     Sometimes we just end up in a place where we start feeling sorry for ourselves.  The feeling doesn't just jump on you like some close friend playing a trick.  The feeling sneaks into your life, takes command of the mothership and holds you hostage until you cry "Uncle!".  Or something like that.  Regardless, feeling sorry for ourselves has a long genetic component running all the way back to Adam and Eve.  It's what a fallen humanity does.  Sometimes when we least expect the feeling to appear we get caught by surprise and are complaining even before the whole thought has a chance to take hold.  Satan knew what he was doing.  Feeling sorry for one's self is a selfish act.  That's what he did when he chose to oppose God in Heaven and was cast to earth.  He chose to be selfish.  Wanting something that wasn't his to have.  He didn't feel sorry for the 1/4 of heavenly host he took with him to hell.  He doesn't feel sorry if he takes you to hell either.  There is a difference between feeling sorry and feeling sorry for one's self.  Often we are sorry for what has happened whether we are part of the equation or not.  When we feel sorry for ourselves we disregard God and possibly others.  The focus is on me.  That sense of entitlement grows into sin and there we are. 
     In the Spirit controlled life we should try to minimize the selfishness.  We can't eliminate the trait but we can submit it to the Spirit.  There isn't a character in the Bible (except Jesus) who hasn't felt the complaining selfish nature of this trait.  Feeling sorry for ourselves is something that we learned and teach.  It's something that we've practiced.  This trait is as manipulative of ourselves and others as we let it be.  More significantly is our delusion that with this "sorry" attitude that we can manipulate God into being and doing what we want.  Quite frankly, we have two spirits to choose from as we live out our lives here on planet crazy.  First we can submit to the Spirit of God (good choice) and second we can submit to the demonic spirit (bad choice).  If you are waiting for a third choice, there isn't any.  There never was and never will be.  We either, as Christians, choose to glorify God or we glorify Satan.  That seems harsh.  Because it is.  If we choose to honor God then we will be seen as harsh to the world.  If we choose to honor the world we are harsh to God.