Dysfunctional Thinking Victim Mentality

 In recovery, as well as in addiction, we can have a victim mentality.  A person with a victim mentality tells their life story with the intent of making people feel sorry for them.  Through a person’s sympathy they begin to control and manipulate that person.  Their intention is always to have others meet their needs.  They do not take responsibility for their own behaviour because they believe someone else is always to blame for things that went wrong in their life.

 Many are the victims she has brought down; her slain are a mighty throng.  Her house is a highway to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death.  (Proverbs 7:26-27 NIV)

God never intended that we would carry our own burdens or manipulate others to carry them for us.  No human person is equipped to handle the emotional and physical abuse of their own sin, never mind that of another.  God saw the trouble that sin brought on all humankind and He had a plan to deal with it.  Because of God’s great love for us, Jesus willingly came to fulfill God’s plan of redemption for all mankind. 

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.  But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.  (Isaiah 53:4-5 NKJV)

There is no need for any of us to be either a victim or a saviour.  Jesus is the only one who can set us free from the disease of sin.  If we have a victim mentality or are trying to be a saviour for someone who has, we need to come to Jesus and allow Him to heal us and bring us peace.

 Let us throw off any sin that holds on to us so tightly. And let us keep on running the race marked out for us.  Let us keep looking to Jesus. He is the one who started this journey of faith.  (Hebrews 12 1b-2a NIRV)

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, I want to draw near to You for You alone can break the chains of bondage to sin that so easily entangle me.  I want to receive all that You offer me through Jesus.  Please set me free to run the race that You have marked out for me.  Amen