A Shattered Life: Victor Vs. Victimনমুনা

Types of Victimization: Victim to Things You Can Change

Many of us fellow victims who think we’re in that “special club” do have obvious circumstances that justify our feelings—circumstances we absolutely can’t change. Often though, we become so immersed in the pain of what happened that we carry defeat into other circumstances that we do have power to change. Many times we give up to the fortuities of life and barely get by, yet we don’t need to live shattered under a wall of pain. Very often we have to make a CHOICE to change!  

Ask yourself, am I a victim to something I can control?  You can’t manipulate others to your will. Rechoreographing the past isn’t within your ability. You don’t have authority over some circumstances that have to do with other people. But, what can you change? You can change your outlook. Mastering your perceptions are in your full power. You carry the full weight of responsibility within your habits and mindsets! 

Sit and reflect for a minute. Ask yourself, what suffering do I continually struggle under? Ask Him, Lord, are there things I need to quit that are holding me back from living in abundant victory? Lord, are there things I’m not doing that would help me live victoriously? Am I just living under a bunch of excuses and listening to lies from the enemy? Am I allowing those lies to paralyze me from action I am supposed to be taking? 

Change can be hard. It’s a lot of work! We may be so beat down from real hurts that we just can’t seem to muster the energy to fight for the things we can change. I had to stop and ask myself, and I invite you to as well…are we ok to live defeated when it’s something we can change?! Maybe the mountain of things we need to change is huge and is shadowing our “want” to even take a step. Maybe we don’t even know how to step outside our circumstances to see what we are and are not responsible for. I know I struggle with this a lot! But, we must fight anyway! 

Change is required to move from being defined as a victim or as a victor. Are you a victim to negative thoughts? You can change this by renewing your mind daily with what The Word says about you.

Are you a victim to food? You can take small steps by slowly choosing different foods that give you energy and fuel you properly for life. 

Are you a victim to health issues? Maybe you can’t control everything about your health, but what can you do? Can you start walking? Can you get to bed at a decent time? Quit eating as much junk? Look into purchasing quality vitamins? 

Are you a victim to your job? Can you quit the “poor-me” attitude at work and see it as your mission field? Can you talk to your boss and reset your boundaries so that stress doesn’t overtake you? Can you start looking for a new job? 

The question isn’t what is happening to you. The question is WHAT CAN I DO? Many of these actions could totally put us on a new trajectory for life.

Don’t look at the mountain. Don’t look at the shattering pain. Just look at the next step. Take that step, and then begin looking for the next. Soon that mountain of change that you need to conquer will get smaller and smaller.

Pay attention to the verbs in these scriptures and make a list of things God may be calling you to do to stop living in victim mentality.