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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"When we know who we are offense takes on a different role in our lives. We have choice. With choice comes freedom and power. That’s the destiny of a victor."
As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 217.
People often misunderstand the feeling of power that comes with being offended. We tend to believe that in our offense we have a newfound authority over those who have offended us. Offense speaks from the belief that the offended is correct and the offender is in the wrong. Though this may be the very case, the power that the offended feels is a short lived and extremely unproductive kind of power in their lives.
All too often those who are offended have come into this condition because of a challenge (real or perceived) to their identity. Offense is extremely easy when we have a wrong view of who we are. When we are satisfied with allowing the roles we play to define who we are offense happens more and more in ways that establish victim thinking habits for people in this world.
Victors have found their identity has been established and secured by what God has spoken in their lives. The success or failure of the roles that they play and what others may say about them as they work out their roles, don't drive the victor to offense as quickly as it used to when they were confused about their identity. When the victor is offended the reality of their identity helps them to move out of that place of offence before victim thinking can take hold of their lives.
The power that the offended feels is a choice challenged power. In other words the offended has little choice but to react in ever increasing victim thinking ways. And, as we have seen in the past, those stuck in victim thinking ways are doomed to become victimizers themselves. Offense leads to victim thinking which then leads to situations where the offended can become offenders in one way or another.
Check out what our bible verse for today says about the power we have in our identity.
for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7 (ESV)
Offense is really about fear. It's about the fear that we have when someone says or does something that contradicts the identity we want others to understand about ourselves. It's about the fear that we allow to control our lives when it is a possibility that the good things in our life might be challenged by those around us. It is the fear that comes when we just don't know who we are and we are afraid others might not to be able to accept or love us when our identity is in question.
Being offended might bring a sense of power into our lives but that power doesn't hold a candle to the power God is talking about in the 2 Timothy verse we read earlier. There is real power in our identity. Power to overcome fear. Power to realize that we are loved for exactly who God made us to be. Power to live in our status as a victor when victimizing events try to bring offense into our lives.
When someone says or does something today that offends you maybe it's time to try something different. Maybe it's time to reject that false power we all feel when we are offended and step out of that spirit of fear into the place of power that is love and self-control. This is one of the ways victors can walk in the fullness of their status when the craziness of this world allow situations to offend us. Make the power God has provided to you, the victor, something you choose over the timid power that comes with offence.
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"When we know who we are offense takes on a different role in our lives. We have choice. With choice comes freedom and power. That’s the destiny of a victor."
As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 217.
People often misunderstand the feeling of power that comes with being offended. We tend to believe that in our offense we have a newfound authority over those who have offended us. Offense speaks from the belief that the offended is correct and the offender is in the wrong. Though this may be the very case, the power that the offended feels is a short lived and extremely unproductive kind of power in their lives.
All too often those who are offended have come into this condition because of a challenge (real or perceived) to their identity. Offense is extremely easy when we have a wrong view of who we are. When we are satisfied with allowing the roles we play to define who we are offense happens more and more in ways that establish victim thinking habits for people in this world.
Victors have found their identity has been established and secured by what God has spoken in their lives. The success or failure of the roles that they play and what others may say about them as they work out their roles, don't drive the victor to offense as quickly as it used to when they were confused about their identity. When the victor is offended the reality of their identity helps them to move out of that place of offence before victim thinking can take hold of their lives.
The power that the offended feels is a choice challenged power. In other words the offended has little choice but to react in ever increasing victim thinking ways. And, as we have seen in the past, those stuck in victim thinking ways are doomed to become victimizers themselves. Offense leads to victim thinking which then leads to situations where the offended can become offenders in one way or another.
Check out what our bible verse for today says about the power we have in our identity.
for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7 (ESV)
Offense is really about fear. It's about the fear that we have when someone says or does something that contradicts the identity we want others to understand about ourselves. It's about the fear that we allow to control our lives when it is a possibility that the good things in our life might be challenged by those around us. It is the fear that comes when we just don't know who we are and we are afraid others might not to be able to accept or love us when our identity is in question.
Being offended might bring a sense of power into our lives but that power doesn't hold a candle to the power God is talking about in the 2 Timothy verse we read earlier. There is real power in our identity. Power to overcome fear. Power to realize that we are loved for exactly who God made us to be. Power to live in our status as a victor when victimizing events try to bring offense into our lives.
When someone says or does something today that offends you maybe it's time to try something different. Maybe it's time to reject that false power we all feel when we are offended and step out of that spirit of fear into the place of power that is love and self-control. This is one of the ways victors can walk in the fullness of their status when the craziness of this world allow situations to offend us. Make the power God has provided to you, the victor, something you choose over the timid power that comes with offence.
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