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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“That’s the danger of allowing the roles we play to define our identity. Roles always change.”
As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 16.
As the old saying goes, there are two things guaranteed in life - death and taxes. I want to add a third, roles will change, it's a guarantee. Sometimes roles change in a dramatic and often, unnerving way! The fact that changing roles are a reality means that using roles to define who we are is a dangerous place for the victor to be. Those who bank on the steadfastness of a particular role they are playing to define who they are are destined to live the miserable life of a victim thinker.
Roles change. It’s a simple fact that just can’t be argued against. Even the titan in business, who's role as a business magnate will change when he is either too old to do the job or when he passes away, has to face this fact. Just like death and taxes are assured, roles are guaranteed to change. Why would you ever allow any role you play be the defining characteristic of your identity?
Part of the reason we work so hard to keep a winning role as part of our identity is that we are afraid of not knowing who we might be when our roles do change. Worse than that, most of us are afraid of not liking who we might become when roles change. That fear has its basis in the fact that our perspective is too short sighted. Victors seem to have an eternal perspective that makes the roles they play less impacting when it comes to identity. Take a look at today’s Bible reading in this light.
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NIV)
Victim thinking happens more frequently when we fix our eyes on the shifting roles that are ahead of us. That kind of short-sightedness can lead to a feeling of hopelessness when what we are focused on doesn’t work out as well as we would like. The victor has found ways to fix his eyes on the Lord and make the eternal more of his/her daily life and identity. Living a life like this makes changing roles less and less of an issue to the victor.
So, to your list of guarantees (death and taxes) add the fact that your roles will change. As you see this change in roles happening in your life today, take a deep breath and know that God is in the middle of that change. The eternal glory spoken about in the verse above is for you! Why? Because you are a victor in Christ. No amount of role change can alter that fact. Take each change as it comes today with a dose of confidence that comes from the fact that your identity is secured by the eternal and, often unseen, things of God. That’s the kind of antidote victors need to the kinds of victim thinking that can come with the reality of shifting roles.
**********
“That’s the danger of allowing the roles we play to define our identity. Roles always change.”
As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 16.
As the old saying goes, there are two things guaranteed in life - death and taxes. I want to add a third, roles will change, it's a guarantee. Sometimes roles change in a dramatic and often, unnerving way! The fact that changing roles are a reality means that using roles to define who we are is a dangerous place for the victor to be. Those who bank on the steadfastness of a particular role they are playing to define who they are are destined to live the miserable life of a victim thinker.
Roles change. It’s a simple fact that just can’t be argued against. Even the titan in business, who's role as a business magnate will change when he is either too old to do the job or when he passes away, has to face this fact. Just like death and taxes are assured, roles are guaranteed to change. Why would you ever allow any role you play be the defining characteristic of your identity?
Part of the reason we work so hard to keep a winning role as part of our identity is that we are afraid of not knowing who we might be when our roles do change. Worse than that, most of us are afraid of not liking who we might become when roles change. That fear has its basis in the fact that our perspective is too short sighted. Victors seem to have an eternal perspective that makes the roles they play less impacting when it comes to identity. Take a look at today’s Bible reading in this light.
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NIV)
Victim thinking happens more frequently when we fix our eyes on the shifting roles that are ahead of us. That kind of short-sightedness can lead to a feeling of hopelessness when what we are focused on doesn’t work out as well as we would like. The victor has found ways to fix his eyes on the Lord and make the eternal more of his/her daily life and identity. Living a life like this makes changing roles less and less of an issue to the victor.
So, to your list of guarantees (death and taxes) add the fact that your roles will change. As you see this change in roles happening in your life today, take a deep breath and know that God is in the middle of that change. The eternal glory spoken about in the verse above is for you! Why? Because you are a victor in Christ. No amount of role change can alter that fact. Take each change as it comes today with a dose of confidence that comes from the fact that your identity is secured by the eternal and, often unseen, things of God. That’s the kind of antidote victors need to the kinds of victim thinking that can come with the reality of shifting roles.
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