Arise, shine; for your light has come! The glory of the Lord
is risen upon you. Isaiah 60:1
Let me ask you this: Have you ever felt mistreated, used, lied to, manipulated, or even abused? Have you ever been betrayed or abandoned? Have you been neglected or rejected? Have you ever lost a loved one or a dream you cared about? Have you suffered with anxiety, depression, or feel like life hasn’t been fair? Have you ever felt like you just don’t matter?
Have you ever made a wrong choice that ended in you feeling some level of shame, guilt, or fear? Have you ever tried to live life by your own strength, struggling with fully trusting God? Have you every caused someone else pain? Have you ever found yourself caught in addictive behaviors like substance abuse or eating disorders?
Most of us have experienced some of these things because we live in a fallen world, we still deal with wrong desires, or because we have a spiritual enemy working against us. Pain and trauma can have a negative effect on us, and one effect is seeing ourselves as a victim. It’s a self-perception as someone who will never rise up. This victim mentality will warp how we think, feel, and behave.
There is a difference between being victimized and developing a victim mentality. A perpetual victim can’t seem to break out of that victim mold, but God wants to set us free and give us a new identity in Christ. Through Christ, God wants us to rise up and be who He has called us to be, do what He’s called us to do, and attain everything He has given to us to possess. God wants us to shed the old mentality and grab ahold of a new one – to rise up as victors and experience His glory!
When we see ourselves in Christ as overcomers, we will come up higher in how we think, feel, and act. He will reach down into the mud of a victim mentality, and lift us up to seat in heavenly places in Christ!
Application: Take some time and locate yourself. Spend time with God and ask Him to reveal any unhealthy thoughts, feelings, or behaviors. If He reveals something unhealthy, also ask Him to reveal where those things came from and ask Him to heal and restore those places.