Manna Monday | from victim to victor

Today, I wanna speak to anyone that's ever felt stuck. Stuck in really what I would call a victim mindset. And this is where you're trapped, and you may not even know it, but you're trapped by your circumstances, your past, maybe even your self image, or even trapped by what you've been labeled with from even a diagnosis standpoint. How often I've heard in the office this lie that when someone's diagnosed with something, it's as if they can't do anything about it. And it's with them forever, it'll always be there, and there's no way, there's no way they'd ever have freedom in their diagnosis.

And I would say that's a lie. There is hope. There is hope, and even better, there's freedom. So today, I wanna talk about how scripture breaks the chains of victim mentality and calls us into victory. Recently, a near dear friend of mine who I was spending some time with today was diagnosed with stage four, astrocytoma, which is brain cancer, stage four, given eight months to live, given options that just didn't align with what his desires were.

And so he sought after not as a victim but as a victor other options. And today, and he was diagnosed last year today, he's completely cancer free. And I believe if he bought into the victim mentality of this is gonna kill you, you have eight months to live, make things happen for these next eight months, that he wouldn't be here today. So what's possible? I think anything is possible.

Part one, the problem. So here's what the problem is. The problem is the victim mindset. A victim mindset says, life is happening to me, and there's nothing that I can do. Like circumstances of life is just happening to me, and I'm paralyzed to do anything about it.

It focuses on like blame. It's your fault. It's the world's fault. It's this person's fault, and a sense of helplessness. And since it's everyone's fault or everything's everyone else's fault, there's nothing I can do.

And then inevitably, we feel defeated. But here's the truth that the mindset directly contradicts the word of God. Romans 8:37 declares that in all things we are more than conquerors in Him who loved us. In all things, in everything, in every area of our life, we are more than conquerors. You are more than your circumstances.

You are a conqueror in Christ Jesus who lavishly loves us. Again, you may not identify with this. Maybe you do, maybe you don't. But if you sit with it and dig a little bit deeper, I feel like we all have an area of our life that we feel is happening to us, and there's nothing we can do about it. Whether that's a self image, something you think about yourself that's not true, something you've been labeled with that's not true, or something that is currently in your body, whether it's a pain, a problem, or a diagnosis that is not your future reality.

Let's talk about the solution. Three just ways to break the victim mindset. Number one, replace lies with truth. Your identity is in Christ. You know, when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, he didn't just like argue with the enemy.

He quoted scripture. And if you're hearing, you're broken, you're powerless, you're unworthy, there's no way you're gonna get free, this is gonna be with you forever, you have to fight back. And as you resist the enemy, he flees from you. You resist him through God's word. Declare 2 Corinthians 5:17 over your life.

"If anyone is in Christ, he's a new creation." It's one of the most freeing scriptures that you are a new creation in Christ Jesus. You are who God says you are, and you are not your past. You are not what you've been labeled with, you're what's happened to you. Your identity is in Christ, the new creation.

Number two, take responsibility through faith. A victim says it's out of my control, but a victor claims, 6:5 of Galatians, "each one should carry their own load." Each one should carry their own load. Take responsibility isn't taking it, isn't denying the reality of it. It's not just ignoring the reality, hey, I'm hurt, or I've been hurt, or here's where I'm at.

It's different. It's acknowledging that through Christ, we have the power to respond differently. It's, hey, pray like, Lord, help me steward my past, not be enslaved to my past. Help Lord, help me steward my pain, not be enslaved to my pain. Lord, help me steward my diagnosis, not be enslaved to my diagnosis.

Number three, shift focus from self to purpose. The victim mindset is inwardly focused. Why me? Why is this happening to me? Why me?

But victors live outwardly. God, how can you use this for my good in your glory? That's what a victor says. Hey. Yeah.

I broke my arm. Stinks. Why me? But God, how are you gonna use this for my good in your glory? Romans 8:28, one of my favorite scripture says, "and we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him."

Ask God to redeem your story, your pain, your problems, and your past. Turn your pain into purpose. That's how healing flows. It's not just about you, but it's what God will do through you based on your past and your pain and your problems. Live as a victor and not as a victim.