Monday, January 7, 2013 -- Perpetual Victim Or Beloved Of God
"Mercy heals, but unforgiveness makes you a perpetual victim" (Bob Gass WFT, 2013). Whether we turn on the television to watch the news, tune into a sitcom, or gather at a 12-step meeting, we encounter people acting out of the perspective of a perpetual victim.
Life happens. People are human and will fail us. Injustices will take place around us every day. That's the broken condition of our world and the humans who inhabit our planet, including us. We fall into an ugly trap when we begin to believe that what we see around us and what's been done to us is the ultimate shaper of our existence. Rise up, O God, and scatter your enemies. Let those who hate God run for their lives. Blow them away like smoke. Melt them like wax in a fire. Let the wicked perish in the presence of God. But let the godly rejoice. Let them be glad in God’s presence. Let them be filled with joy. Sing praises to God and to his name! Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds. His name is the Lord—rejoice in his presence! Father to the fatherless, defender of widows—this is God, whose dwelling is holy. God places the lonely in families; he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy. But he makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. (Psalm 68:1-6 NLT)
I (Elsie) clearly recall the day I came to realize that the only person responsible for the difficulty in my life was me. For decades I had blamed a long list of people. I had failed to move forward and take action because I was waiting for others to own their mistakes, others to take appropriate action, others to rescue me and give me life as I envisioned it. I had cried many tears and shouted many angry accusations at God for the rotten life I'd been given and the powerless state in which I found myself because bad things had come my way -- some of them many years prior.
How I fought with God the day the truth of God's word finally dawned on me -- life came from God not others. Life was a gift that God was giving today. Greater was the loving power and presence of God who lived in me than whatever had happened or would happen to me. "You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world." (1 John 4:4 NLT) It's so much easier to blame others and resent others and leave responsibility for our life to others. However, we cry our first breath when we are born and we breathe our last breath in relationship to the plan of the Living God. No one else does that for us. God is the giver of our life and it is to God that we will answer for how we live our days. "As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing" (2 Timothy 4:6-8 NLT).
As we enter into 2013, let's enter into the life that God is giving. No one else can give it. No one else can take it from us. Let's return to the simple practice of daily (moment-by-moment) surrendering of our lives to the generous and loving God in heaven, trusting that whatever we face today will be something He has prepared us to face. Let's live for God and find the life He alone can give us.
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