Week Five Day 1
Victim Mentality (Poor, Poor Pitiful Me)
With victim mentality, comes blame. It’s oh so easy to blame a friend or
family member or co-worker for whatever is going wrong in your life at the
moment. Perhaps it’s time to take a good, honest look at our part in the
situation and take some responsibility.
Read Genesis 3:6, 9-13
6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.. 9 The LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
Reflect
There’s plenty of blame to go around here, isn’t there? Eve blames the
serpent; Adam blames Eve and even has the audacity to blame God for
giving him ‘the woman’. But is that really fair? Adam and Eve were given
clear direction and free will to make their own choices and in this situation,
they made a really bad choice…and there were consequences to their
actions.
(Have you ever chosen to ‘go your own way’ and then had to deal with the
consequences?)
Read Genesis 3:14-19
14 The LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. 15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” 16 To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.” 17 And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it, cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; 18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
Reflect
Adam, Eve, and the serpent all had consequences for their choices. The
worst of which was separation from God. But thanks be to God for His love
for us and for providing a way for us to be reconciled to Him through His
Son, Jesus! (Genesis 3:15)
(Can you think of a time when someone forgave you for your bad choices?
What was your reaction to their forgiveness? )
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I confess that I daily make bad decisions and then try to
deflect the blame on someone else. Help me to take responsibility for my
actions and right any wrongs they may have caused. Accept my heartfelt
thanks for sending Your Son to reconcile us to You and assure us a place in Your kingdom. In Jesus’ saving name I pray, Amen.
Week Five Day 2
Victim Mentality (Poor, Poor Pitiful Me)
In today’s reading, we learn of a boy who had fallen victim to an evil spirit.
His father may also have had some ‘victim’ feelings caring for a son with
such severe problems. See how the father’s faith in the power of Jesus
brought resolution to the situation.
Read
Mark 9:17-25
17 And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. 18 And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” 19 And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” 20 And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. 21 And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 25 And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”
Reflect
Have you ever fallen victim to something that was beyond your control?
How did your faith in Jesus affect your attitude in that situation? Was your
faith strong or was it tested? How did your trial bring you closer to God?
Did the end result allow you to give glory to God?
Prayer
Lord God, through all the trials of my life, bring me closer to You. Cause me
to rely on You and trust in Your will for my life. We confess with the boy’s
father, “Lord I believe; help my unbelief!” In Jesus’ healing name I pray,
Amen.
Week Five Day 3
Victim Mentality (Poor, Poor Pitiful Me)
The Psalms are full of conversations that King David had with God.
Sometimes they are praising God for His work in David’s life; sometimes
they are lamenting the many ways people are trying to destroy David’s
kingship or even David himself! While David sometimes allows himself the
attitude of ‘poor, poor pitiful me’, many of his psalms end in his
acknowledgement of God as Lord of his life, and praising Him for His
protection and provision through all circumstances.
Read
Psalm 69
Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck. 2 I sink in
deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me . 3 I am weary with my crying out; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God 4 More in number than the hairs of my head are those who hate me without cause; mighty are those who would destroy me, those who attack me with lies. What I did not steal must I now restore? 5 O God, you know my folly; the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you. 6 Let not those who hope in you be put to shame through me, O Lord GOD of hosts let not those who seek you be brought to dishonor through me, O God of Israel. 7 For it is for your sake that I have borne reproach, that dishonor has covered my face 8 I have become a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my mother's sons. 9 For zeal for your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me. 10 When I wept and humble my soul with fasting, it became my reproach. 11 When I made sackcloth my clothing I became a byword to them. 12 I am the talk of those who sit in the gate, and the drunkards make songs about me. 13 But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD. At an acceptable time, O God in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness 14 Deliver me from sinking in the mire; let me be delivered from my enemies and from the deep waters. 15 Let not the flood sweep over me, or the deep swallow me up, or the pit close its mouth over me. 16 Answer me, O LORD, for your steadfast love is good; according to your abundant mercy, turn to me. 17 Hide not your face from your servant; for I am in distress; make haste to answer me 18 Draw near to my soul, redeem me; ransom me because
of my enemies! 19 You know my reproach, and my shame and my dishonor; my foes are all known to you. 20 Reproaches have broken my heart, so that I am in despair. I looked for pity, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none. 21 They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink. 22 Let their own table before them become a snare; and when they are at peace, let it become a trap 23 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see, and make their loins tremble continually. 24 Pour out your indignation upon them, and let your burning anger overtake them. 25 May their camp be a desolation; let no one dwell in their tents. 26 For they persecute him whom you have struck down, and they recount the pain of those you have wounded. 27 Add to them punishment upon punishment; may they have no acquittal from you. 28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living; let them not be enrolled among the righteous. 29 But I am afflicted and in pain; let your salvation, O God, set me on high! 30 I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving. 31 This will please the LORD more than an ox or a bull with horns and hoofs. 32 When the humble see it they will be glad; you who seek God, let your hearts revive. 33 For the LORD hears the needy and does not despise his own people who are prisoners. 34 Let heaven and earth praise him the seas and everything that moves in them. 35 For God will save Zion and build up the cities of Judah, and people shall dwell there and possess it; 36 the offspring of his servants shall inherit it and those who love his name shall dwell in it.
Reflect
List some of the things that distress David in vs. 1-12.
What is David asking God to do in vs. 13-18?
What is David really asking for in vs. 19-28?
How does David’s attitude turn around in vs. 29-36?
Prayer for times of distress (Psalm 70)
Make haste, O God, to deliver me! O LORD, make haste to help me! ‘
Let them be put to shame and confusion who seek my life!
Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt!
Let them turn back because of their shame who say, “Aha, Aha!”
May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you!
May those who love your salvation say evermore, “God is great!”
But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay! Amen.
Week Five Day 4
Victim Mentality (Poor, Poor Pitiful Me)
Poor Job! What did he ever do to deserve all the trials in his life?! Perhaps a better question would be “What did he do to deserve all the blessings in
life?” We so often ask, “Why me?”, when we could just as easily ask, “Why
not me?” We have to trust that God’s ultimate purpose for our life will be
achieved in whatever way He sees fit and that includes times of trial as well
as times of blessing.
Read Job 2:7-10
7 So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and struck Job with
loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8 And he took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he sat
in the ashes. 9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your
integrity? Curse God and die.” 10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of
the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall
we not receive evil?” In all this, Job did not sin with his lips.
Reflect
Why do you think God allows suffering in our lives?
Read Job 2:11
11 Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They made an appointment together to come to show him sympathy and comfort him.
Reflect
From what you know about the story of Job, were his ‘friends’ a help or a
hindrance in his situation? (for more details on their ‘help’, read chapters 5,
8, 11, 15, 18, 20 , 22, 25) Can your friends sometimes be part of the problem when dealing with trials in your life? What are some ways to handle their negative influence?
Read Job 38:1-4 (and beyond – through chapter 41 if you want to hear
God’s entire response to Job’s questioning)
Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: 2 “Who is this
that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? 3 Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me. 4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.
Reflect
God answers Jobs questions with some questions of His own. What is He
telling Job through this series of questions?
Read Job 42:1-3
Then Job answered the LORD and said: 2 “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. 3 ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not
understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
Reflect
Job accepts and acknowledges that God’s purposes are above his
understanding. Is it easy to submit to God’s will and purpose in your life?
Why or why not? What might help you accept a trial God has placed in your
life?
Prayer
Lord God, I submit to Your will for my life. Teach me, use me, mold me,
shape me into one who conforms to the image of Christ. Help me to say,
‘Thy will, not mine, be done’, In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Week Five Day 5
Victim Mentality (Poor, Poor Pitiful Me)
Can you name someone who truly was a victim? Someone who, through no fault of his own, was put through trial after trial, temptation after temptation, was vilified, wrongly accused, and suffered immeasurably even to the point of death? Of course, that man is Jesus. But Jesus did not see Himself as a victim. He knew He was part of a bigger plan!
Read
Luke 24:5b-8
“Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” 8 And they remembered his words.
1 John 5:4-5
4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is it that
overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of
God?
Reflect
Verse 3 of Christ the Lord is Risen Today (463) reads: Hail, the Victim
undefiled…God and sinners reconciled…When contending death and
life…Met in strange and awesome strife. At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing
(633) refers to ‘Chris the Victim, Christ the Priest’ (v.2) and ‘Mighty Victim
from the sky’ (v.5). Yes, Jesus was the victim of God’s wrath, but He didn’t
dwell in victim mentality; He chose to have a Victor mentality! He subjected
Himself to the will of God so that in the end, God might be glorified.
How might His example be encouragement in our lives? How might we be
examples to others who are observing how we handle difficulties on our
lives?
Prayer
Jesus, our Victor, thank You for becoming a victim for me. You took the
punishment I deserved and overcame sin, death, and hell so that I might fully inherit the kingdom of God – something I don’t deserve, but in Your love for me, You provided. Help me to remember that I share in Your victory and keep me from dwelling in a victim mentality. Send Your Spirit to support
and guide me so that I might be a light and example to those around me –
during every circumstance in life. In Your victorious name I pray, Amen.