Blame I am not going to pass the buck. I will take responsibility for my actions.
"We are good at playing the victim. We are innocent. You can not control what others do to you. What you can control with the help of the Holy Spirit is how you respond. With the help of the Holy Spirit you can move forward. Letting the past actions of others control your present and your future is allowing them to victimize you all over again." -Pastor Phil Ressler
No, in all things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Romans 8:37
Pastor Phil reminds us that Jesus was truly a victim, just as many people are, but he forgave those who hurt him; "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Luke 23:34
Not only did he forgive them but Jesus chose to take the blame, even though he was innocent.
Pastor Phil continued to say...
"Know that hurting people hurt others. Hurting people often hurt themselves. But as you find healing in Jesus Christ something amazing happens. The scars left behind become a reminder that I am not a victim but "more than a conqueror" and wounds of the past become agents of healing."
I get how easy it is to play the victim; been there done that. Victims truly have someone to blame for what has happened to them. Victims usually have no control over what happens to them. But victims do have control over how long they will live as the victim. We are all responsible for how we respond to life's circumstances. That does not mean that you should be able to instantly get over what has happened. Victims have wounds, and wounds take time to heal, and we all heal at a different rate. We have to chose to take an active role in our healing. We have to chose to forgive. We have to chose to let God work in our lives.
Sometimes when wounds heal they can leave an ugly scar. It can be hard not to hate that scar. It can be hard to not let that scar dredge up old emotions. We have to learn to look at that scar and see it as life lived; as character that adds to our beauty and uniqueness. Let God help you to see that scar in a new way. Give the memory of the pain to Jesus. Let the Holy Spirit guide you into your future; the one filled with hope and healing. God promises to use our scars for good; he has a plan for our lives; we have to let him.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11
We also have to remember to stop and think about why that person has made you a victim. It could be that person is a victim themselves and they are struggling through their healing process. They may not know where to turn to; may not have Jesus is their life to help them along the way. I have learned that life is chain reaction. The person that hurt you might just not know any other way to get someone, anyone, to understand their pain.
God promises to bestow on those who grieve "a crown of beauty for ashes." Isaiah 61:3
If you let him, God will turn that "ugly" scar into something beautiful. All you have to do is stop blaming, embrace the scar, and let God work.
God, I am so thankful that you have a plan for my life. You use all the good and all the bad for a better future. You give me the power to be "more than a conqueror." You are so patient with us; knowing that healing is not an easy process, and we each have a set time to heal. But you have given us the ability to chose, and that is what I must do. I chose to trust you in the process of life. I chose to trust you to turn the "ugly" in my life into beauty. Help me to let go of blame, to let go of being the victim, so that I can live the amazing life that you have planned for me. Help me to be the example to those that are struggling with the same issues. Help me to stop and think about the offenders in my life; to pray for them to find the help they need to get through whatever it is they are struggling with. I want to be a light that shines for you. With all of my love and trust in Jesus' name Amen!
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