Victim or Victor

No one can walk through this life without being victimized.  Jesus was even victimized.  However, through this unjust treatment, He did not blame, accuse or point the finger.  He remained blameless.  He was a victor, not a victim, who possessed a pure heart.  Even though Jesus possessed no sin, He demonstrated to mankind how to be a victor. 

 

VICTIM 

A victim is a person who has been wounded, either by being harmed, injured, or killed from crime, accident, or other event or action.  When we remain a victim, we are refusing to take responsibility for the condition of our own heart and actions.  Instead, we point the finger at others for their wrongdoing.  The wounds or injustice from others, creates a crap-load of sin in our own hearts.   

 

To remain a victim is to be overcome with self-pity, blame, anger, un-forgiveness, hatred, criticalness, and accusations toward the person, place or thing which wounded.  Victimhood states, “You are responsible for my pain and the harm or injustice.  It is your fault that I am treated unfairly.” 

Victimhood is really standing before someone as Satan himself as their accuser, blaming them for the wrongdoing.  The Nazis did a really good job making the Germans believe they were victims of the Jews because.  Adam in the Bible, believed he was a victim of both God and Eve, for he blamed them.  As a victim we desire to seek revenge, tear down character, accuse, bad mouth, riot and divide in an effort to establish justice.  We then stand before the throne of God just as guilty of sin as they. 

 

Sin is what we must overcome in order to become a victor.  Sin makes us a victim, and sin keeps us as victims.  So, we have a choice every day, to remain a victim or become a victor like Jesus.   

 

VICTOR 

A victor is a person who defeats an enemy or opponent.  In this case, I am referring to a battle, a battle of the heart.

A victor overcomes.  We overcome the sin in our own heart produced by the victimization by taking responsibility for the condition of own hearts.  But we can only do this through repentance and the forgiveness of Jesus, His Blood washing away our sin.  Jesus becomes our righteousness!  He is the one who changes our hearts from being a victim to a victor.  Hallelujah!   

Overcoming our own sin then births God’s wisdom.  The wisdom to set wise boundaries with ourselves, and with those who are victimizing.  When we refuse to live in the victim mindset, we are no longer easily offended, wounded, or afraid of our identity being threatened.  Victory over sin brings healing to the mind, and confusion and chaos are silenced.  We have all been victimized, in one form or another, but remember, through Jesus we are victors.