Have I given you too many things to do or not to do? Of course, all guidance I give boils down to love, so, in actuality, there is only one thing I ask of you, and that is to love yourself. You cannot love others more than you love yourself. I speak of loving and not attachment, beloveds. I speak of loving yourself and not holding yourself for ransom, as it were.
If you ever feel sorry for yourself, you are not loving yourself. If you ever feel sorry for someone else, you are not loving that person. Christ had compassion but he did not commiserate. He did not feel sorry for anyone. Nor must you.
Even when Christ was on the cross, he did not feel, "Oh, woe is me." He did not feel: "What a poor unfortunate am I." He did not feel sorry for himself. That would indeed be a sorry thing to do. Nor are you to feel sorry for yourself or anyone.
Perhaps you might say, "But, God, with due respect, what is the matter with feeling sorry for someone?"
Of course you know I do not mean, if you see a man fall down, that you would not help lift him up. Of course, you know I don't mean that you would not help someone cross the street. Of course, you know I do not mean, if you see a starving child, that you are not to give him food. You must know I don't mean that, for you must know that I mean for you to help all creatures. I have to ask you: Must pity be your only motivation to help another? If it is, don't let the ones you help know it.
To feel sorry for someone is insulting really. It is a label you attach, beloveds. It is a poor sign that you place on another. And it is a poor sign if you place it on yourself. When you look at someone with pity, you are saying they are lacking and perhaps inferior. You are saying that they are not lucky, or you are saying that you are luckier.
Now, of course, I may hear you saying, "But, God, that's absolutely true. It's obvious, isn't it? Some of us are luckier than others. Or some of us are lucky one time and not so lucky another. If someone is ill, he is ill."
Beloveds, if it is obvious, all the more reason for you to not state the obvious to yourself or to another.
Beloveds, had Christ felt pity for lepers, how could he have healed them? He would have kept them right where they were. Christ saw beyond the limitations of the world. And so must you. You know better than to label a child stupid. Is it better to label someone as ill or poor?
You haven't forgotten that you create with your thoughts, have you?
I will tell you another reason why you do not want to feel sorry for yourself or anyone. It immobilizes you. You make an indictment. You box yourself in. It is such an indemnifying thing you would do. When you feel sorry for yourself, you paint a poor picture of yourself, and you stay there. It is the same when you apply pity to another.
Now can you imagine saying to a friend: "Oh, I pity you"? Is that not a terrible thing to feel? Nor would you say, "Oh, you poor thing!"
A pity party is not a party at all.