The Victim's Corner.....a calm place that many people have been to at one stage of the their lives or another. Some stay there for a day while others take a vacation there and it seems like they never come back. It seems small, a corner, but alot happens there you know, big pity parties, banners of reminisce and party rings of regret are served for one . It's normally a place you go to alone because no one else seems to get it, no one really understands.
The Victim's corner is a mindset and one that encapsulates the lives of many. It seems like an escape but it's actually a prison. As Christians we hear we are more than conquerors, overcomers, victorious (John 16:33), but I can guarantee you that whilst there are many lifiting up holy hands saying "God is good" there are some who are struggling to walk in that, all awhile attending church with stage curtains called smiles. I know because I have taken a short trip there myself.
My Safe Place of Danger
When a victim's mindset becomes the norm it is one that becomes comfortable and is feels safe. In the Victim's Corner you don't have to take responsibility. You can feel like you have no control over what's happening and it's 'the hand you've been dealt in life.' Things just happen, hey deal with it. Have you ever felt like that, like life seems to be pulling you along? People have hurt you and you feel like life has dragged you on the pavement. Maybe your circumstances make you feel you haven't had the best start to life or maybe you just feel lost. The walls are put up and it feels as if you one understands what you're going through. You feel you have no control and it sounds weird but having been in that mindset myself, there's actually a relief or gratification that comes from that.
There are some circumstances that we find ourselves in, that are not necessarily 'our fault' but we shouldn't let this be a reason to let 'life drag us along.' We have been given the ability, the power and authority to make decisions about what to do in these situations. Joseph was a man who was in circumstances beyond his control: being sold by his brothers into slavery, taken away from his home and family, moved from place to place. Can you imagine how lonely and betrayed he must have felt? However his story did not end as a sad one and he is definitely not remembered as a victim but as a leader. God was with Him and He never left. He would have had his lonely moments and his sad moments but he did not reside in the Victim's Corner. There was something bigger planned for his life. Romans 12:2 says:
When you feel yourself straying or when you feel down does that place or person you go to remind you of Psalm 18:2? Do you run to people more than God himself?
If you feel like you're in the Victim's Corner, you don't have to stay there. Begin to read the word and back out. Don't hide your weaknesses but reveal them to God asking the Holy Spirit to help you because He is our Counsellor. Surround yourself with people who will shape your world when it looks like it's crumbling. For those who are not in the Victim's Corner why don't you pull someone out. Who are you praying for? Who are you encouraging? God brings opportunities and people our way continuously, are you missing them?
Don't let your present situation determine who you are. A fish can be swimming in the ocean and then it can be put into a fishtank, no matter where it is it doesn't make it any less of a fish. As children of the Most High we can't let our present situations dictate who we are. Move from a victim mindset to a victor mindset. Be encouraged!
There are some circumstances that we find ourselves in, that are not necessarily 'our fault' but we shouldn't let this be a reason to let 'life drag us along.' We have been given the ability, the power and authority to make decisions about what to do in these situations. Joseph was a man who was in circumstances beyond his control: being sold by his brothers into slavery, taken away from his home and family, moved from place to place. Can you imagine how lonely and betrayed he must have felt? However his story did not end as a sad one and he is definitely not remembered as a victim but as a leader. God was with Him and He never left. He would have had his lonely moments and his sad moments but he did not reside in the Victim's Corner. There was something bigger planned for his life. Romans 12:2 says:
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of
your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and
perfect will of God.
On a daily basis, in all situations, we should have our daily bread, which is the word of God because in times when you feel you want to stray into the Victim's Corner the word of God will be that stronghold that pulls you back into His presence. Psalm 18:2 says:
The Lord is my
rock, my
fortress and
my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and
the horn of my salvation, my
stronghold
Who or where do you run to?
The comfort and loneliness of the Victim's Corner has robbed many people of their inheritance, their joy and their intimacy with God - all things that rightly belong to a child of the Most High. The Victim's mindset is the enemy's playground: remaining in cycles of the past and 'what if's', chewing on the things that were said and standing on a lie that says you can't move forward. It's far from the presence of God.
Far from the His presence and being alone is a vulnerable place for attack. You need people in your life who will remind you of the future glory to come. A good man once said to me that you need people around you who will form your world when it looks like it's falling down. Job, a blameless man, was discouraged by his wife and condemned by His friends when he was going through a great trial. Distress was added onto Him and this would've been an ideal time to go into the Victim's Corner. We should learn from this to be careful and sensitive when making a judgement about why someone is going through a situation. This contrasts with a grieving mother who had lost her husband and two sons, leaving two daughter-in-laws behind. One daughter in law left and the mother told the other one to go too, but the Bible says she clung to her (Ruth 1:14). She said to her mother-in-law 'Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.' She had headed to the the Victim's Corner but a daughter-in-law pulled her out and God did something bigger than what she could ever had expected.
Far from the His presence and being alone is a vulnerable place for attack. You need people in your life who will remind you of the future glory to come. A good man once said to me that you need people around you who will form your world when it looks like it's falling down. Job, a blameless man, was discouraged by his wife and condemned by His friends when he was going through a great trial. Distress was added onto Him and this would've been an ideal time to go into the Victim's Corner. We should learn from this to be careful and sensitive when making a judgement about why someone is going through a situation. This contrasts with a grieving mother who had lost her husband and two sons, leaving two daughter-in-laws behind. One daughter in law left and the mother told the other one to go too, but the Bible says she clung to her (Ruth 1:14). She said to her mother-in-law 'Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.' She had headed to the the Victim's Corner but a daughter-in-law pulled her out and God did something bigger than what she could ever had expected.
When you feel yourself straying or when you feel down does that place or person you go to remind you of Psalm 18:2? Do you run to people more than God himself?
If you feel like you're in the Victim's Corner, you don't have to stay there. Begin to read the word and back out. Don't hide your weaknesses but reveal them to God asking the Holy Spirit to help you because He is our Counsellor. Surround yourself with people who will shape your world when it looks like it's crumbling. For those who are not in the Victim's Corner why don't you pull someone out. Who are you praying for? Who are you encouraging? God brings opportunities and people our way continuously, are you missing them?
Don't let your present situation determine who you are. A fish can be swimming in the ocean and then it can be put into a fishtank, no matter where it is it doesn't make it any less of a fish. As children of the Most High we can't let our present situations dictate who we are. Move from a victim mindset to a victor mindset. Be encouraged!
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