Daily Reading: Romans 8:35-39
Big Idea This Week:
Don’t play the wrong role in the story
Questions to think about:
We have discussed different roles we all try to play in our lives. Yesterday was the villain and today is the victim. The victim’s motto is “Others do great things for me” Victim’s make the hero look good and the villain look bad because they never change. They constantly need someone else to help them.
This may sound strange to some of us, but sometimes it’s comfortable to be a victim. Some people grow used to feeling sorry for themselves, throwing pity parties, and inviting others to join in: “You poor thing! You really have it rough!” We all enjoy a little pity once in a while.
Being a victim also comes in handy when we don’t feel like changing. We might blame our troubled childhood, our alcoholic spouse, our nasty boss, our painful illness. After all, who can expect us to move ahead in life? Don’t we have every right to wallow in self-pity?
Jesus shatters the victim mentality. We’re tempted to think of ourselves as helpless lambs being dragged to the slaughter. But faith in Jesus makes us “more than conquerors through him who loved us.” Nothing, no matter how painful or powerful, can separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus. That makes us victorious–no matter what.
One of my greatest joys as a pastor has been seeing God’s love overcome the victim mentality. People paralyzed by pain and self-pity discover how much God loves them. They find that Jesus is far greater than their problems, that a victory celebration is more fun than a pity party. They stop using their troubles as an excuse, and they overcome them. Through God’s love, they become more than conquerors. So can you.
What do you typically make excuses for in your life or tend to shift the blame to someone or something else? Who can you share this devotional with today?
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