There have been a number of times in my life when I’ve felt sorry for myself. Perhaps there have been moments that you too have felt at least a little bit of self- pity. And why not? The profession you love is not what it once was. Your marriage is what it is- good, bad or otherwise. Your kids are great but they aren’t headed for the best school, scholarship or the major leagues. You are dealing with health, friendship or financial issues and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight. Let’s face it, there’s good reason for us to feel at least a little bit sorry for ourselves.
There’s an account from the book of 1st Kings that tells the story of a man named Elijah who was bathing in these same waters of self-pity. He had offended King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. They put out a contract on his life having made it clear that if and when they found him they would kill him. The story picks up with Elijah sitting in a cave, tired, scared, isolated and alone. While there, the voice of God comes to Elijah and asks, “What are you doing here Elijah.” At that point, Elijah begins to explain his predicament. He effectively says to God, I’m a good man and I’ve lived a good life. I’ve done everything that’s been asked of me. I’ve committed my life to you God and now this? Why are you allowing this to happen? He then finishes his lament with these words “I alone am left”. It’s a sad and all too common feeling when we’re going through hard times, to feel abandoned, isolated and alone.
Perhaps we can identify with some of what Elijah was feeling at that moment. I mean, this isn’t what we envisioned when we took our jobs. The image we once had of our career, marriage, kids, health and finances did not include some of what we’re experiencing now. Perhaps there are times when we feel a little bit like Elijah; alone in our caves, isolated in our sadness and worried about what the future may hold.
And yet, God’s response to Elijah is a fascinating one. God doesn’t give him a bunch of clichés reminding him of all the good in his life. He doesn’t tell Elijah he has a plan, nor does he ridicule Elijah for his faithlessness or tell him to stop his whining. What he does is simply remind Elijah of this one simple truth. You are not alone. In fact, God tells Elijah to get up out of that cave and return home where he says he will find 7000 other faithful servants who will fight the good fight along with him.
These are words I am reminded of whenever I leave my cave and force myself to interact with my fellow strugglers. I am reminded that we’re all in this together and that I am not alone. Whenever I am more intentional about being less isolated, I find that I am blessed. I find that I am not alone in my struggles. While God makes no promise to take away all the dangers of the world in which we live, for some reason it feels strangely comforting to be reminded of one very simple truth; we are not alone. May we feel God’s presence when we choose to leave our caves and continue this wonderful, sometimes painful, journey.
