Be a Victor, Not a Victim

Victim mentality may get us pity, but it won’t give us power. After listing all of the terrible things that could possibly happen but can’t separate us from God’s love, such as trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger or sword, the apostle Paul went on to say, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:35, 37). Paul spoke from experience. He’d gone through difficult times because of his stand for the Gospel, yet he didn’t sit there and feel sorry for himself and he didn’t expect his readers to (see 2 Corinthians 11:16-33). Instead, he wrote as one who is “more than a conqueror,” and encouraged us to adopt a similar attitude.

The more I read the Bible and grow in my relationship with God, the more I am convinced that we’re meant to live as victors, not victims. Yes, unpleasant things happen to all of us at some point in our lives. But instead of dwelling in self-pity, we’re encouraged to get back up and fight. One of the things that I’ve been thinking about lately is how someone out there may really have it worse than me. This mentality doesn’t take away my problems, but it does help me to count my blessings more. The more we focus on how blessed we are, the more empowered we will be. Let’s rise up!