You're a victor, not a victim

Have you ever felt like you were a victim of circumstances? That you were held captive by others' choices? Most of us at some point have experienced difficult times. A marriage break up, a financial collapse, a moral failure, a disease, or a relationship failure.

There are choices each of us make which sometimes lead to the problem. But then there are those situations where you were blindsided... you didn't see it coming. You didn't know someone could be so cruel. Days turn into weeks and weeks into months. Some trials are over in a few days, and some take years to recover from. It is in the down times where we feel as if we are a failure. We play the blame game-- on them, on God, on ourselves. We can become bitter and cynical. We often shut ourselves out if we're not careful. Sleepless nights of worry and fear. And here you are, a bible believing, spirit filled Christian. You don't act like nor feel like you are either.

But what you are going through doesn't define who you are. You are the apple of God's eye. He made you for a purpose, and nothing can deter it. As a matter of fact, He will use the very things you are going through to propel you to your destiny.

Consider Joseph. He was betrayed by his brothers, lied upon by Potiphar's wife, forgotten by the baker and butler. He was kidnapped, put in a pit, sold as a slave, imprisoned. But when we read the final chapters of the book of Genesis, this Joseph is in rulership, second in command only to Pharoah. Victim? Hardly. We know him as a victor. But you see, we have the benefit of reading the other chapters, or as Paul Harvey would say, the rest of the story.

The rest of the story has not been written in your life. I speak from experience. My life went through it's own personal hell, as our ministry went through a church split. Three years of wondering if we were going to make it left me feeling as if I were a victim. It wasn't easy, but we survived. We hung in there. We prayed, we cried, we prayed again. We kept on doing what we were called to do. I can report today that the church is growing and full, lives are being changed, and there is revival in the air.

When you don't feel like you're a victor, you still are. And when you think you won't make it, you will. I believe in you today, and God believes in you. That's the main thing. Hang in there. And if you ever need a friend to talk to, give me a shout.

Blessings,
Pastor Ronnie