Thoughts
that have come from various quotes taken from the book, "Victor - Breaking
Free From a Victim Based Society" by John H. Hovis. Click here to link directly to
the audio file.
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“Doing” is the enemy of “being” when it comes to holiness."
As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 51.
Oftentimes it would do us very well to simply rely on the " being" part of human-being rather than trying to create a new species called human-doing. Much of our life is spent in the process of doing rather than just being. This is particularly case when it comes to living a life of holiness.
To be holy means to be set apart. It has so little to do with the moral choices that come before us every day and has so much more to do with the identity that God has given us. So many of us get caught in the trap of thinking that there is a lot to do in order to be only. Sure there are plenty of things we can do to avoid crossing the line from temptation into sin, but applying the strategy of "doing" holy this rather than "being" holy over and over again in our lives sets us up to for the possibility of victim thinking to rule.
The bible says this about how we are to be holy.
You shall be holy, for I am holy. 1 Peter 1:16 (ESV)
Some would read this verse as a command to be holy since god is holy. I see it a little differently. The word "for" to me means " because". In that light, I read the verse saying I am holy because god is holy. It becomes an identity issue for me.
As god's child we are made in the image of our creator. Even on our worst day, because of our identity in him, we are seen as holy because he is holy. I believe this point is emphasized by the word " be" in today's bible reading. The verse isn't saying to " do" holy, it says we shall "be holy"!
What's the big deal about focusing on "being" vs. "doing"? I happen to believe that the more we do to try to be what we are already the greater the potential for victim thinking to be in control of our lives. The more effort we put into trying to earn what has already been given the more the sting of failure is possible when our efforts don't rise to the level we expect them to. When we fail over and over again is when victim thinking has the best opportunity to enter into our lives. That's why doing is the enemy of being in so much of the life of all who want to live like the victor they've been called to be.
There's nothing wrong with working to eliminate those things in our life that make us less than holy. It is when we put all our hopes in what we do to try to prove who we already are that victim thinking can be a significant part of our lives. Doing anything in an effort to prove we are a victor is a complete waste of time. Our actions and the results of our actions will never be enough to keep victim thinking out of our lives when identity is at issue.
It is my hope that your day will be filled with opportunity after opportunity to experience the fullness of your status in life. Know this, however, challenges will come your way from time to time. If you allow challenging results of your efforts to be proof of your status before god victim thinking will surely be the result.
The answer to this dilemma is faith. It's time to have faith in who you are and whom God has made you to be. You are his child -this, and this alone makes you a victor. When you are faced with the temptation to do something to earn the status that has been freely given to you remember that you are a "human-being", not a "human-doing". Trust who you are, do all your passions empower you to do and let the results be what they will. This is the way a victor lives a victorious life.
**********
“Doing” is the enemy of “being” when it comes to holiness."
As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 51.
Oftentimes it would do us very well to simply rely on the " being" part of human-being rather than trying to create a new species called human-doing. Much of our life is spent in the process of doing rather than just being. This is particularly case when it comes to living a life of holiness.
To be holy means to be set apart. It has so little to do with the moral choices that come before us every day and has so much more to do with the identity that God has given us. So many of us get caught in the trap of thinking that there is a lot to do in order to be only. Sure there are plenty of things we can do to avoid crossing the line from temptation into sin, but applying the strategy of "doing" holy this rather than "being" holy over and over again in our lives sets us up to for the possibility of victim thinking to rule.
The bible says this about how we are to be holy.
You shall be holy, for I am holy. 1 Peter 1:16 (ESV)
Some would read this verse as a command to be holy since god is holy. I see it a little differently. The word "for" to me means " because". In that light, I read the verse saying I am holy because god is holy. It becomes an identity issue for me.
As god's child we are made in the image of our creator. Even on our worst day, because of our identity in him, we are seen as holy because he is holy. I believe this point is emphasized by the word " be" in today's bible reading. The verse isn't saying to " do" holy, it says we shall "be holy"!
What's the big deal about focusing on "being" vs. "doing"? I happen to believe that the more we do to try to be what we are already the greater the potential for victim thinking to be in control of our lives. The more effort we put into trying to earn what has already been given the more the sting of failure is possible when our efforts don't rise to the level we expect them to. When we fail over and over again is when victim thinking has the best opportunity to enter into our lives. That's why doing is the enemy of being in so much of the life of all who want to live like the victor they've been called to be.
There's nothing wrong with working to eliminate those things in our life that make us less than holy. It is when we put all our hopes in what we do to try to prove who we already are that victim thinking can be a significant part of our lives. Doing anything in an effort to prove we are a victor is a complete waste of time. Our actions and the results of our actions will never be enough to keep victim thinking out of our lives when identity is at issue.
It is my hope that your day will be filled with opportunity after opportunity to experience the fullness of your status in life. Know this, however, challenges will come your way from time to time. If you allow challenging results of your efforts to be proof of your status before god victim thinking will surely be the result.
The answer to this dilemma is faith. It's time to have faith in who you are and whom God has made you to be. You are his child -this, and this alone makes you a victor. When you are faced with the temptation to do something to earn the status that has been freely given to you remember that you are a "human-being", not a "human-doing". Trust who you are, do all your passions empower you to do and let the results be what they will. This is the way a victor lives a victorious life.
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