Day 125 - Our Own Devices

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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"Man, left to his own devices, will always move in a direction that benefits himself."

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 71.

Is there any doubt that left to our own ways we will work to benefit ourselves. Sure there are those saints in this world who seem to be able to deny self in ways that look to be nothing short of heavenly. I hate to sound so negative, but I'd bet that those saints are just like you and me at times when it comes to our self serving ways.

I don't say this to bring those amazing people down. I'm in awe of them and hold them in the highest of regards. The reality is that they too are human. I don't care if you are the most saintly of a saint, your humanness is something that can't be denied on this side of heaven. Until we all are in that place God has made for us after this life is over, our humanness is something that will rise up in one way or another to make my previous statement just as true for the worst of the worst as it is for the best of the best.

For some of us caught in victim thinking these thoughts make us feel like just giving up. I totally get it. I've been there more than once in my life and know I'll be there again. Praise God, that's not where He will have us stay for too long. Why? We have things to do - big things that have Kingdom sized implications. These things are too big for our petty ways to get in the way of what God is doing. Even when our petty ways are in control, God still sees us as something more than I think we can ever really believe. How is it that we can be so loved by this God?

It isn't that we will ever be totally rid of the fact that we tend to do things for our own benefit that should give us hope. No, that kind of hope is a false hope. It is when we realize and start to depend on how much God loves us in spite of our self centered ways that change can begin to happen. Love truly does have a power that is beyond our belief when it is God's love that we stand on and believe in.

Take a look at today's Bible reading with me.

Your God is present among you, a strong Warrior there to save you. Happy to have you back, he’ll calm you with his love and delight you with his songs. Zephaniah 3:17 (MSG)

God is among us. He isn't surprised by our self serving ways. He is there to save us from those ways. Those ways really don't benefit us in the ways we think they will. He has our back. He is a calming force in our lives. When the needs and wants of our live are making demands from us from all sides, His calm is there for us to grab onto and hold. It is the songs of love and delight that He sings over us that ushers in a calm that we just can't explain. Can you feel that calm reaching deep down into your soul right now?

Left to our own devices.... That's the key to today's thought. It is when we are left to ourselves - left alone, left wanting, left hopeless, left wandering who we are - that the panic of victim thinking can ruin our victor's life. When we step back and see that God is there with us - there cheering us on - that we begin to let His calm enter our lives. That calm is what makes it possible to live a life where we set our will down and let His will be what makes the kinds of impact in this world possible our souls long to have.

The sooner we get it into our heads that we are OK before this God that loves us, the sooner we will have a calm about us that this world is starving to see. It isn't our perfection that makes this calm possible. It is the knowing that we are loved in spite of our lack of perfection that makes it possible to live a calm, god-filled, life full of the reality of who God says that we are.

Day 124 - Results Based Life

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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"Peter 1:16 says, 'Be holy, because I am holy.' Because the word holy in this verse is connected to God we sometimes think that holiness is something we achieve by doing things."

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 50.

We are such a results based species. I'm not sure any other animal in this world looks to results like we do. Think about it. Do bees worry about how well they build that hive? How about beavers? Do they worry if their dam will be as good as the last one they built? I just can't imagine birds worrying that their nest isn't as good as the one built by the bird in the next tree. Results can be such a powerful force in the life of a human being. It isn't that we aren't to worry about how things turn out, it is the reasons that we look to results that makes depending on how we do something such a victim thinking thing to do. 

It is when we need results to be part of the process of identifying and confirming our identity that results become something God never intended. There is absolutely nothing wrong with feeling that sense of accomplishment from a job well done. What absolutely kills our ability to live the life of a victor is when we turn to the results of our actions as proof as to who we are. Letting results be the test as to how well one's identity is working out in their life is nothing more than a short cut to victim thinking. 

It's the same with the issue of being holy. We are to be holy because God is holy. When we view this verse through the lens of results it destroys our ability to live out the kind of holiness God is speaking of here. You see, we are holy, not because of what we do. We are holy because of what God has done. Our actions will never be enough to be the kind of holy needed to relate to this holy God that loves us so. It is only because of the fact that He sees us through the completed work of Jesus Christ that holy can be a description that the victor has every right to apply in their lives. 

It is when we fall back on old ways and let the results of our attempts to be holy be enough to prove our holiness that doubts can't help but to be part of our existence. We can't help but to feel like we haven't done enough to rise to the level of God's holiness. Truth is we can't. We can never do enough to be holy like God is holy. We are a fallen people. This makes our holiness as filthy rags as far as God is concerned. Because of Jesus, our holiness is a white as snow, even on our worst day. If that doesn't change your perspective on life I don't know what will. 

I don't know about you but sometimes I get so tired of trying to be something I can hang my hat on when it comes to identity. Same goes for holiness. I'm so tired of trying to be holy. What I'm really  tired of is the feelings that come when I fail in the area of holiness. Those feelings can drive me to dark places where victim thinking takes control in ways I can victimize those around me. Since God says holiness is part of who I am, I'm finding it harder and harder to rely on results to prove that I'm living out my identity in a way that I think might be pleasing to Him. 

I'm not giving up on doing my best and feeling the pride of doing something well. That includes living out who I am. What I hope to be able to give up someday is placing all my faith in my ability to confirm who I am to others and to the God that made me in the first place. I hope you too are finding this to be just as worthless in your life as I am in mine. 

The truth is that I don't have to prove myself to anyone, especially God. I am who He has made me to be. My identity as God's Child isn't something I can earn or repay. It is what it is and I can't do anything to make it more or less than what He sees me to be. It is exactly the same with the issue of holiness. I'm holy because He is holy. Holiness is in my blood because I'm a child of the Holy King. It is in your blood as well. Just be and let your doing be empowered by who you are. 

The Bible says this about how we are to act upon the holiness God calls us to. 

Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people; praise his holy name. Psalm 30:4 (NIV)

I love this verse. It tells us to do one thing, and one thing only when it comes to the issue of holiness. We are to praise God. It's that simple. Our praise of Him is a powerful force in this world. M.R. DeHaan says, "If we would talk more about the Lord and praise Him, we would have less time to talk about ourselves."

Maybe that's the answer to my tiredness. Maybe I need to spend less time worrying about myself - what I think of myself and what others might be thinking of me. Maybe it is when I praise God, thank Him for what He has said about me, that I'm in a place where His holiness becomes something easier for me to grasp and maybe even live out. 

Results make me think about myself more than I should. Spending all the time I do trying to judge how well I have done something takes away from the time I could be spending doing more - more work, more relationship, more life, more praise. 

How about you. Are your tired of trying to figure out who you are? Are you tired to trying to prove you are who you want to be? I sure do hope you are tired of these results based actions because they are ultimately worthless. God has said who you are. You are His Child and that makes you holy. Take His word as gospel for your life and let holiness be what sets you apart in the middle of your victor status that He has made for you today 

Day 123 - Promise and Perspective

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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"This is a key point we have to grasp in order for victim thinking not to take control of our lives. God’s promises are viewed from Heaven looking to earth, not the other way around. We tend to see the promises and demand that they be fulfilled in our lifetime. By what authority do we have the right to do that?"

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 45.

Take a look at this Bible verse for a moment.

The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, without painful toil for it. ~ Proverbs 10:22 NIV

Ok, how easy has it been to gain and keep the wealth you might have in your life today? It has been darn hard to get to where I am financially, wouldn’t you agree? Yet, this flies in the face of what today’s Bible reading is saying, isn't it?

That’s the problem with so many of God’s victors. We are living a life of victim thinking because our perspective on His promises is so skewed. If we hold out that we are victors because we see the victorious things God promises in The Bible happening in our life, not only do we open the door to victim thinking to come in, we give Satan a foothold in our lives in ways that can make it possible to doubt God’s Power being something we can trust.

That’s a very dangerous place for those caught in victim thinking to live. When all we see is bad things happening to us and we are plagued with doubts that God’s Love and Power might not be for us, we are like a bomb of hopelessness waiting to go off. When it finally explodes, that’s when victims can become the greatest victimizers in this world.

How do we fight to keep this from happening in our lives? It is by understanding perspective when it comes to God’s Promises. The blessing of wealth without painful toil, is without a doubt when viewed from God’s perspective from Heaven looking down. It is when we view these promises from our lives looking up that we get into trouble.

When we see a powerfully appealing promise, like that in the Proverbs 10 verse above, and we work to make that promise happen in our lifetime that we can find ourselves trapped in victim thinking. Heaven doesn’t have a time limit. Heaven is unlimited. That is something we have difficulty grasping in our world filled with limitations. Victors have to be ever vigilant to read and apply God’s Promises from His perspective not from theirs.

What does victory look like to you? Is it in wealth, health, power, impact, protection from death, good relationships, provision, destiny  etc.? All those areas, and a many more, are promised to you, the follower of Jesus Christ, in The Bible. Problem is that I don’t believe that they are promised completely here, in our lifetime. Demanding God’s promises to happen in manner that I want in the timing I need isn’t a strategy that has worked all that well for me in trying to live the life of a victor. How’s that strategy working in your life?

God promises some of the most  amazing things in The Bible for you, His victor. In order to live in that place of power, we as victors are promised, we have to hold our expectations loosely. The how and when of seeing those promises come to reality has to be viewed from God’s perspective, not from ours in order to keep victim thinking at bay.

Day 122 - The Power of The Letter “Y”

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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"The problem with the word victor is that our minds immediately move to the word victory. We believe that if we are victors than we must be victorious, right?"

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 30.

One little letter can drastically change things. Take the word “victor” and put a “Y” and the end and you get “victory.” Victim thinking will ultimately be the result for anyone who believes that the life of a victor is directly connected to the word victory. One little letter has the power to deceive and make it possible for victim thinking to rob the joy out of a victor’s live.

Don’t get me wrong. It isn’t that victors won’t taste victory in this world. Victors, just like victim thinkers win some and lose some. The difference between those living the victor’s life and those trapped in victim thinking is the reliance on a connection between victory and being a victor.
Take a look at what today’s Bible reading has to say on the subject.

...This is what the LORD says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.' 2 Chronicles 20:15 (NIV)

Victory doesn’t belong to the victor, it belongs to God! We all will fight battles of one kind or another this day and all  throughout our lives. Some we will win, and some we will lose. God doesn’t want victory to be what makes a victor because He knows that we will not win them all. If victory makes the victor then when we don’t have victory we will be in a place to doubt that we are victors. It can’t be said enough, victors aren’t victors because of victory. We are victors because of God’s Love for us, a people He calls His Children.

Victim thinkers seek victory at every turn. Victory makes the victim thinker believe their life is good enough for the love of others and, maybe even good enough for the love of God. String enough victories together and the victim thinker might actually starting thinking like a victor. But, their kind of victor living will be short lived and so lacking in impact since victory just isn’t guaranteed in this world.

Victor living is dependent on you getting the “Y” out of your life. That one little letter is what allows fear to creep in and be part of the victor’s life. Fear, left long enough, is what drives the victor towards victim thinking ways.

Don’t let your day be ruled by fear as you try to make the connection between victory and being the victor God made you to be. Since the victory is God’s, stop trying to make it something that proves who you are; stop trying to make victory yours! Jesus is the only proof that makes you a victor. It isn’t the battles you win, nor those you lose that make you who you are. Life as free as you can from fear today as you let your identity as God’s Child lead the way.

Day 121 - Fear

Fear is a real part of the lives of victors and victim thinkers alike. I'd like to say that living the life of a victor guarantees that fear can be dealt with and eliminated in my life. Although that can be the case it doesn't mean that fear will not play a role in our lives from time to time.

This world is a scary place filled with dangerous and, sometimes frightening, circumstances, Even though this is the case, fear doesn't need to be a controlling part of the victor's life. Yes, there are times when fear will make the victor and the victim thinker do things that aren't in their best interests, but I think that fear can be dealt with in ways that can make victor living possible even in the face of fear. I believe that there are two things we can do to help fear play a role that is less and less impacting in our lives today.

The first thing I want us to consider when fear is concerned is control. So much of the fear I face comes when I believe that I'm being put in positions where I have less and less control. I'll give you and example in my life. I have a lot of fear surrounding flying. The fear I feel doesn't come with the thought that I'm going to die in a crash. My fear of flying comes as a result of control. Sitting in that metal tube five miles in the sky with someone I don't even know at the controls makes me squirm just thinking about that prospect. I get that same fear in situations where I have to give up control in varying degrees. Fear and control are linked in ways that I think we all can agree makes fear something we have to deal with when control is the issue.

I love what God says is a potential answer to the kinds of fear based on control.

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV)

Our first means of dealing with fear is to actually take control. I believe that taking captive every thought gives me a power that I feel I'm forfeiting sitting in seat 24A on that airplane relinquishes in my life. I have a power that is God-given to take control of every thought. It isn't an easy prospect in the middle of fear to take control of my thoughts, but I have that choice and simply fail to exercise that power as much as I should when fear is concerned.

I came across this interesting quote about fear that helps make the point about control.

“FEAR = ‘False Evidence Appearing Real’. It is when I catastrophize – overestimating the danger and underestimating my ability to cope.” Nicky & Pippa Gumbel - Bible In One Year Devotional - Day 12

False evidence appearing real... overestimating the danger and underestimating my ability to cope - that's the way fear works in my life fear. Fear presents a picture of the future that I buy into. My thoughts take that picture and turn it into a reality that doesn't exist. This is a fact that all fears we face utilize to gain access and control in the life of a victor. 

If loss of control drives my fears, today's Bible reading gives me the authority to take control back. I can control by taking captive those thoughts that are painting a picture of reality that just doesn't exist. When I sit in that seat of that airplane, my fear comes as I feel helpless and uninvolved in the safety and comfort of my journey.  As I take those thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ, I begin to see that my ability to deal with the situation is so much more than I'm allowing myself to believe. I need to see the false evidence that is weighing me down and get freed up by capturing my thoughts in a way where my reality is what it is that I am experiencing at that moment, not what my mind might conjure up in the future. 

By taking captive those thoughts that are trying to invent a reality that doesn't exist I get control that helps me deal with the fear that comes from losing control. This is the first resource we all have when it comes to fear in our lives. The second resource I want to highlight is identity. Knowing who we are and demanding that we live out the fullness of that identity is a powerful way to deal with fear. 

This point was driven home to me one day as I watch a video of a worship song being sung by some talented folks from Bethel Music. In the video called "No Longer A Slave" the young lady at the end of the song stands defiantly and screams "I am a Child of God." The first time my eyes were opened to her performance chills literally ran down my spine. 

She sang with such conviction and authority about her identity that it made me think about the connection to identity and dealing with fear. It's almost like she has known the battle against fear in ways that made it so that she simply refuses to let go of her precious identity. It's an anthem of defiance in the face of tragedy, defeat, overwhelm and loss. Her voice and posture is as though all is lost but it doesn't matter because she is God's child. It's as though she is spitting in the enemy's face saying nothing matters - this fear is nothing because I am His child! There is something powerful about proclaiming who you are, especially when things are happening around you that make you doubt your identity. 

I believe that fear would have such little to do with our lives if we confronted our fear with the kind of passion and animation this woman sang in that video. It is when we care nothing about this life other than being God's Child that fear of lose, fear of harm, even fear of death takes a back seat in ways that make fear almost irrelevant. 

Look, I know how debilitating fear can be in our lives. There was a time when I simply could not force myself to get on an airplane. Since that time, God has done a lot of work in this victor's life. I now know what it is to be God's Child. I've learned how to take control of my situation by taking control of my thoughts in ways that allow me to view reality in the present and not in the future. I'm figuring out how to stand in the face of the evil that scares me so and scream at the top of my lungs that "I am His Child!" All of this is making it possible for me to deal with fears in ways that are making a difference. 

Fear isn't going to never not be a part of this life as long as we are on this side of heaven. I just don't want fear to be what makes it possible for me to miss out on life in ways that God never intended for me. I know that I will always be controlled by fears in one way or another but want that control to be lessened by who I am and by the power He has given me. I hope you put into play these two powerful strategies of dealing with fears as the world does its best to get you into places where your victor status can be doubted today. 

Day 120 - Does The End Justify The Means?

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 forgetting who we are; we will use the things of God to help ourselves in ways we might not even realize we are doing.”


As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 27.

Oh how tempting it is to use our position as God’s Child to help us achieve victory as we try and live this life as a victor. Don’t get me wrong; there is nothing wrong with victory. It is when we adopt “an ends justifies the means” kind of approach to life that the victor loses his/her way and can fall into the trap of victim thinking.

This can be particularly the case when we find ourselves facing hard times. It is all too easy to forget who we are and revert to worldly thinking in an effort to dig ourselves out of the holes the world can place us in. Victors aren’t doomed to remaining stranded in the holes that come their way. They just don’t see getting out of the hole as the end with which they can justify questionable and victim thinking kinds of actions in their life.

Today’s Bible reading deals with how victors are to look at the ends justifying the means.

“Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?” Matthew 16:24-26 (THE MESSAGE)

It is so easy to lose ourselves as a result of doing what it takes to protect the goodness in our lives. Victim thinkers abound when their focus is aimed too low in life. The victor’s gaze MUST remain high. When we are drawn to let our gaze be transfixed on maintaining and/or adding to our good life we are in jeopardy of losing our way.

Of course the victor is going to do all he/she can to make a good life for themselves. Our relationship with God doesn’t imply that we are to live a burdened filled life. The difference between victor living and victim thinking is that the victor see this life as but a passing thing. They know that this isn’t their home and that they are destined for better - better than they could ever think, ask for or even imagine. We all tend to get lost when the attacks on our good life preoccupy us to the point where we forget who we are.

When you come face to face with the issue of allowing the end (a good life) to justify the means (how you get that good life) take a moment and ponder your identity as God’s Child. Victors just know when they are on the path to losing themselves in the decision they are about to make. They have that sense about them that let’s them consider how their identity is being impacted by the choices they have. It isn’t that victors are going to get the  choices right all the time, it is that they stand a better chance of not getting lost in the process when they choose from the perspective of being a victor rather than choosing from a place of need or want in their life.

Ask God to help you fight an “ends justifies the means” kind of life today. The result will be a greater sense of your place as a victor in the world God has purposed you to be a part of as His Child.

Day 119 – Utterly Cursed

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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"'Utterly cursed…' That’s what we are when we try to relate to God through our actions."

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 81.

The saying goes that, “Actions speak louder than words.” Although this is a true sentiment in most things, when it comes to who we are actions are nothing more than a weak whisper. The words that God speaks over is what makes all the difference in our lives.

Today’s Bible reading comes from The Message. What a wonderful transliteration this work is. In plain English, Eugene Peterson expresses Biblical concepts in a way that just comes to life. Such is the case with today’s reading.

Utterly cursed is every person who fails to carry out every detail written in the Book of the law. Galatians 3:10 (MSG)

Paul didn’t mince any words as he described the result of tying to do what God has made us to be. Does it get any worse than utterly cursed? Yet that’s what Paul wanted the Galatians to understand as they were about to trade their free salvation in Christ for a rules based alternative. Living by the rules is a “doer’s” way of life. It is a place where victim thinking can’t help but to materialize.

You see if you choose to live by the rules as proof of who you are in God’s eyes, one mistake, one simple little mix up and you are out! Relating to a perfect God requires complete perfection. One mess up and perfection isn’t ever possible. That's what Paul is trying to get us all to realize. Living by rules makes it so that we can't help but to be utterly cursed!

That’s the power of the message of Jesus Christ. It isn’t about what we are able to do that makes us who we are. It is all about what Jesus did that makes our imperfection seen as perfect in the eyes of God. Paul was horrified that the Galatians would ever consider returning to a rules based way of relating to God. I hope you are just as horrified when you try to do in order to be in your life as well.

Actions will always be a part of our life. It’s just a fact. There is work to do and we are ideally suited to be a part of that work. Letting actions be part of what we use to define and confirm who we are is nothing short of cursed.

All we can do is let what God says about us ring true and then do all we feel we are to do as part of this journey here on earth. In this way, we will find it much easier to walk through the hard times and much more profitable to walk through the times of plenty.

I don’t know about you but I don’t want to be utterly cursed. I want to be abundantly free. Cursed is what we are when our actions are all we have when it comes to identity. Freedom is what we have when we accept our identity and do what lies before us.

Day 118 – Glory Around The Corner

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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“Job was a victor when he was living the victorious life, and he was a victor when all the victory was gone. Every word stated above is just as true for you. I hope you feel the freedom in that as deeply as I do.”

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 55.

Freedom doesn’t come as a result of having victory in our lives. Sure there is an element of freedom that money, position and power can afford. But that kind of freedom is like sugar – 10 minutes after you eat it you feel hollow again. Freedom that lasts can be tapped into when we disconnect our circumstances from our standing.

I don’t know… Maybe I’m kind of sick, but I love the story of Job. Poor Job follows God as perfectly as He can and all that does is attract the attention of Satan Himself. All Hell breaks loose when God brags on His son and Satan works to get Job to curse God’s existence in his life.

I’m not a fan of the story because of all the horrible things Job went through. I like this story because it paints a picture of reality in this world that seems to go missing in our church services and outside of them as well. Life isn’t always a nice, cushy walk in the park. Hard things come our way, even when we are doing our best to be the kind of creation that worships their creator in all ways possible.

We are part of a much larger story and that fact sometimes gets lost as we focus too closely on our own lives. There is a spiritual battle happening all around us and we often get caught up in the skirmishes in ways that make it awful easy to believe that God’s love isn’t for us at all.

Listen to today's Bible reading.

Friends, when life gets really difficult, don’t jump to the conclusion that God isn’t on the job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner. 1 Peter 4:12-13 (MSG)

Job could easily have jumped to the conclusion that God wasn't on the job due to his difficult life. Who would have blamed him? It is when the stuff hits the fan that a relationship with God can be questioned in ways that just aren't right.

Our reading today tells us what is going on when bad times hit. We are in the thick of what Christ experienced. Spiritual warfare is a messy thing. It can be costly to our personal existence and painful all at the same time. But there is so much more going on behind the scenes. There is a process unfolding and glory is just around the corner according to the 1 Peter reading for today.

Job did his best to resist the temptation to curse God. He even did his best to stay faithful in the belief that God loved Him. It wasn't easy for him to do so. It is just as difficult for you and for me to stay in that place of connection with God when it seems like God has fallen asleep at the wheel of our lives.

If you are facing challenging times today, take heart. You are being compared to some pretty good company - Jesus Himself. Reality is that you and I will probably never face the kinds of difficulties that Jesus did. If He can remain faithful to this God that loved Him, I know you and I can do so as we face difficulties in our lives as well.

Day 117 - A Different View of Failure

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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“Victims allow the results of their doing to define them. The success or failure of a task impacts their identity. Victors do and the results of their doing don’t change their thinking of who they are or their standing with God."

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 51.

What are the words you would like on your tombstone? Have you ever thought about that at any time in your life? What is it about your life today that can be boiled down into a few words that someone 100 years from now will get a good idea of who you are? Not an easy thing to consider is it?

Unfortunately that is what most of us are doing each and every moment of this life. It is when we look to the results of what we do to define who we are when we end up trying to hit on the exact right combination of words that will make our identity clear to someone years from now. Identity is so much more than just a circumstance that can be boiled down into a catchy phrase. Identity is what is suppose to last, yet we work like the things that we do to support that identity is what is meant to last the long run.

I’ve seen tombstones with words like, “Faithful Husband” or “Beloved Wife”. Don’t you know there was so much more to that man or that woman than the words “faithful” or “beloved” can ever describe? Sure it is an honorable thing to be recognized for our role as a spouse but is that what I want to be reminded of for all eternity?

Roles are never going to be enough to satisfy my craving for an identity that lasts. I don’t want my roles to be remembered – I want my identity to have had impact in this world. I’m learning that that just isn’t possible when I look to anything I do as confirmation or the foundation of who I am.

I know you are tired of hearing me say this but only the identity of God’s Child has risen to the point of being something I can rely on for any permanence in this world. Everything else passes the day I take my last breath. My identity as God’s Child is there forever and doesn’t falter when my life takes turns that I never expected.

Take a look at today's Bible reading with me.

What do workers gain from their toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:9-11 (NIV)

The author of Ecclesiastes saw the futility of trying to do in order to be. What do we gain from our toil? That's a question victors need to carefully consider. If we plan on gaining identity from our toil we are destined for victim thinking. It isn't wrong to toil. It is just counterproductive to use our toil to help define who we are. Toil is there for many purposes; identity should never be one of those purposes.

The beauty of your identity might not be seen in the success of your efforts. Victory is in God's timing, not in our ability to make it happen. The fact that victory is ours is a fact that has to be viewed from God's perspective. Victory is always completely seen and experienced when viewed from Heaven looking down rather than the earth looking up.

Want proof of that last statement? I have one word for you - Jesus. All the toil Jesus took on during his short stay on this earth can be summed up with one word, failure. When viewed from the earth's perspective, Jesus was a complete and utter failure. Now, look at Jesus from God's perspective in Heaven. Jesus was an absolute success. He did exactly what God needed Him to do to secure salvation for all mankind. Perspective is so important when trying to evaluate success and failure when our identity is concerned.

Nothing you will do will ever change your standing before God. You are His Child and that makes you a victor. Stop trying to earn that standing. Stop trying to prove you are who God says you are by making victory part of your confirmation process. Take on all the tasks you have before you with the passion and conviction that comes from knowing who you are. That's the only way you will be able to avoid victim thinking when the things you take on don't turn out quite the way you planned. Who knows, maybe even the failures we face will be like what Jesus experienced - a complete victory when we view those failures from the perspective of Heaven.

Day 116 - Roles Empower

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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“Roles don’t define our identity. Roles are empowered by our identity.”

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 19.

Which word would you choose to be a part of your life? Would you choose the word “define” or would you choose the word “empower” when it comes to the forces at work in your life?

How can you not choose the word empower? Isn’t that what we all are looking for? Don’t you want to be empowered to do all you can do today? I sure do!

There’s nothing wrong with having definition in our lives. It can be an empowering event to have a previously undefined circumstance in life come into clear focus, there is no doubt.  But how often do those defining moments come along? That’s why I want empowerment to be the “defining” word in my life. I can be empowered every moment where I might have to wait to stumble upon a defining moment in life.

We can either seek to have roles define who we are or we can let who we are empower our roles. It’s a really simple choice that takes a conscious, moment by moment decision to choose empowerment over definition. As simple as that is, it sometimes isn’t easy. Why? Because we tend to forget who we are! Identity seems to invoke short-term memory problems in us all.

When we forget our identity the natural tendency is to look to what we do to define who we are. We are trying to suck the power out of what we do to fill the emptied tank of who we are. That strategy works well when what we do happens to be turning out well. When the roles we play turn south our identity tanks remain empty and, it is almost guaranteed when that happens, victim thinking will fill the void.

Let’s take a look at today’s reading in the light of definition vs empowerment.

“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight, declares the LORD.” Jeremiah 9:23-24 (NIV)

The author of this verse has it right. The wise come to learn that leaning on their strengths (growing our identity from the roles we play) is a futile exercise. What does the author say we are to boast in - identity! That’s right. Jeremiah says that we are to boast in the knowledge of who God is. There is power in knowing who God is.

The victor has learned that roles can never consistently work to define identity. The knowledge of who we are and who God is in our lives is the basis upon which the kinds of wisdom needed to live this life as a victor will come. Though our roles change, God doesn’t. That’s one of the most powerful attributes of God - His unchanging nature. Since we carry God’s image in us, our identity as God’s Child is secure no matter what kinds of profound shifts in roles you will face today.

What are you going to choose today? Is it the temporary and elusive concept of definition when it comes to the roles you will play? Or, will you go after the roles before you with an empowerment that comes from a knowledge of who God made you to be? The choice is yours. Victor living is at hand. Choose to know who you are and let the power of that knowledge make your roles be all they were destined by God to be today.

Day 115 – Stuck In Offense

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 victim thinking takes hold like I believe it has in our nation, we are closed off from making changes that ultimately allow freedom to reign.”

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 202.

Do you have any doubt that we are living in a Victim-Based Society? We have somehow gotten to the point where we are so offended at so many different things that it is hard to believe. It is when we close off our thinking in ways as to try and obtain our “rights” at any cost that the very people who feel victimized become victimizers themselves.

I saw this television news interview the other day that so illustrates my point. I am willing to bet that this illustration will offend some and for that I am truly sorry. It is in no way my intention to cause you harm, and my words simply can’t harm you in way when compared to the pain real victims feel each and every day. Please keep an open mind and let me share this story.

On the news show there was a discussion regarding the violence that has ensued as a result of the desire to remove certain Civil War monuments. I totally get the angst people feel with what these monuments represent. For the millions of Africans who were ripped out of their homeland and forcibly taken advantage of in horrific ways, there are no words strong enough to condemn that dark part of our History. For that reason alone I tend to agree that the public square might not be the appropriate place for monuments that some see as celebrating this terrible time in our nation’s history.

In the interview they played the tape of a very distinguished, well spoken and very influential African-American woman. This person was an elected official in a town where there were discussing the removal of such monuments. This lady said a couple of things that made me cringe when it comes to the issue of victor living and victim thinking.

She said something to the effect that this statue of a Civil War general offended her deeply. That I can totally understand and have no problem with that statement to any great extent. She then went on to say that she was a victim of this General and all he stood for in this country. That comment really sent me the wrong way.

Victim, really? A duly elected official, holding a position of authority in a sizable town is relating to being a victim of a general who died over a hundred years ago? Her Great, great grandfather might have been a victim of those policies this general represented but is this woman really a victim?

Yes her family ended up in a place they didn’t choose hundreds of years ago. Yes they faced horrific abuse at the hands of those who saw her ancestors as property and even less. But, can this woman of influence really say that she was victimized in today’s world? Words have power and if we use them incorrectly we can get to places where we will be so offended that we won’t be open to civil discourse and then unity goes out the window.

This woman’s ancestor was a victim - there is no doubt in my mind of that fact. She is standing on the shoulders of the past atrocities in ways that has made it possible for her to achieve a level of success her enslaved relatives would have never thought possible. How can this woman of position, means ad authority be a victim of a statue and what that statue represents. She’s a victor of the highest caliber and she should be celebrating that fact as I can imagine her ancestors are to this day.

It is when we hold onto offense that we shut down in ways that causes more and more disunity. Take a look at the issues of offense from the Biblical perspective.

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:31-32 (NIV)

The answer to offense is forgiveness. Bitterness, anger rage, brawling, slander and malice happen the more we hang onto offense. It is when we forgive that we have a chance at living out the victor's life that we have worked so hard to obtain.

Forgiveness isn't about condoning what happened. It is about moving forward out of offense so that we can live the fullness of the life that God has made the way for us to live.

Forgiveness brings with it something that we often overlook in this life. Forgiveness brings a level of acceptance that makes it so much easier to deal with where we are today and to recognize the progress that we have made in this world. It is when we hang on to the offenses of the past that we can fail to see the miracles of life that we have enjoyed - miracles that might not have been possible had not that offense in the past happened in the first place.

I know how hard it is to forgive. I also know that it is so easy to say we have forgiven and then act in offense backed victim thinking ways that cause disunity and damage in the world around us. Forgiving might take years of practice but I guarantee the time will be well spent as more and more peace enters your life the more you throw off the vestiges of past hurts in your life.

Just like every day, today you have a choice. Either you can live viewing life through the lens of past hurts and fight to make right a history that just can't be changed or you can live like a victor. The victory's choice is to forgive the past and focus on the now so that the future can be all it should be in our lives. Staying focused in the past guarantees stagnation and further entrenches the Victim-Based Society that is dragging our nation to a halt.

Be a part of change today. Choose your victor status over victim thinking ways. Forgive where you need to and move on with your life. This will make it possible to make real and lasting change in and around your lives in ways being stuck in offense will never be able to match.

Day 114 - The Demand For Self

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 self-centeredness is fueled by victimization, we are in danger of becoming victimizers in our own life.”

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 204.

If we really want to live this life as the victor God has made us to be we have to come to grips with the difference between simple selfishness and self-centeredness. Not knowing the difference can make us think in ways that allow victim thinking to be a real possibility.

Selfishness is a natural trait placed in all creation to help us survive this life. This might sound kind of crazy but selfishness even exists in the plant world. Don’t believe me? Just check out how pine trees and oak trees grow. The height and breadth of these magnificent trees is actually a strategy that helps guarantee their own survival. They branch out in ways so as to block the sun from anything growing underneath their trunk. In some species they actually secrete a chemical that makes any growth from happening underneath their branches. In doing so they kill off any other plant life that might rob the tree of the nutrients they need to thrive. A perfect picture of selfishness if you ask me.

Same goes for the human species. We are just as selfish as the plant world when it comes to making our way in the world. Though we might not position ourselves in ways that will cause permanent harm to another we do things with self preservation in mind that I believe can be classified as selfishness. That kind of selfishness is totally understandable. As long as it isn’t used to the detriment of another, I believe this kind of selfishness is something we should not get too worried about in this life.

Self centeredness is a totally different animal altogether. Self centeredness happens when our selfishness takes us into greater and greater places where our needs, rights and desires become a singular focus. It is when we become demanding of others when it comes to our needs, rights and desires that we cross from natural selfishness to damaging self-centeredness. In that place of demand is where victim thinking takes control and we are placed in positions where we can become victimizers to those we love.

Self-centeredness fueled by victim thinking is a dangerous place for a person to remain. It is when the bad things of this life hit us in ways where we begin to take on the persona of a victim that the demands for a self centered result can cause damage to others in ways we would have never considered.

Look at what the Bible says about the subject.

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; Philippians 2:3 (NIV)

The combination of selfishness and empty conceit is what makes self-centeredness a possibility. Sadly, the self-centered person stuck in victim thinking rarely sees their damaging ways. They can actually see their self centered ways as totally logical and justified. The phrase; “If you only know the pain I have suffered you wouldn’t think my actions are all that bad.” is the mantra for those stuck in victim thinking when self-centeredness is in control.

Self-centeredness fueled by victim thinking makes it so that we see ourselves as more important than anyone else. We would never admit that but deep down inside that is exactly how we feel. It is as though the rest of the world exists to meet our needs and when that doesn't happen, a demanding spirit can be what makes victimizing events a real possibility in our lives.

The answer to this delima is such a difficult prospect for victim thinkers to apply in their lives. It is when we take our eyes off ourselves and start to look at others as being more important that self-centeredness begins to loosen its grip in our lives.

I'm in no way saying we are to ignore our own needs. That is totally impossible. I'm only saying that the need to recognize when our demand for self is making us cross the line from selfishness to self-centeredness. Then we can be in a better position to let humility be such that we can focus on others in ways that allows us to better live a perfectly normal, selfish life without letting self-centeredness cause damage all around us.

Next time you hear that voice coming from deep down inside saying that you deserve that need you are so missing in your life, think where you are on the selfishness, self-centeredness spectrum. Staying too long on the side of self-centeredness is where victim thinking can't help but be the norm. Victors realize that they need things in this life but stop short as best as they can from demanding others to meet those needs in ways they might not have been designed or empowered to do.

Let God be the one that holds you up in times of plenty as well as in times of scarcity. Then, and only then, will you be in a position to live like the victor He has made you to be.

Day 113 – Miracles

 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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"What’s so amazing about the difference between “have to” and “get to” living is that we often miss the miracles of life by mistaking God’s leading in our lives as “have to” obligations."

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 181.

I’m of the belief that miracles are happening more than we are trained to see. So much of our everyday life is clearly miraculous when you step back and consider all the things that have to line up to make possible what you are experiencing at this moment.

As a personal illustration, as I sit writing that last sentence, I’m in an airliner at 37,000 feet over Iceland with 400 of what are quickly becoming some of my closest friends. I’m typing on a computer small enough to fit comfortably in my lap. Such a machine would have been unheard of not too long ago. I just watched a movie about putting the first man into space. Just stopping to write those realities down makes it so much more possible for me to realize what a miracle filled life we all life.

Why don’t we see and appreciate the many miracles that surround our life every moment? Part of the answer lies in the fact that life is moving at such a fast pace. That pace can make the miracles of life so easy to miss. I also believe that we fail to recognize our own personal miracles due to the fact we have become accustomed to the fantastic happening all around us. It is as though we expect miracles as the norm – and why not! Problem with expectations, when it comes to the miraculous, is that they lead us into places where we can discount some of the important things that we might face every day.

This is particularly the case when we are going through bad times. I’m beginning to believe that there are just as many miracles happening as we fight the challenges of life as there are when life is a breeze. I know it is so much easier to appreciate a miracle when good things are happening but I just don’t want to be in a position where I miss miracles that are just as likely in the bad times of life.

That’s what “Have to” living does for us. It sets us up to miss the unmistakable hand of God in our lives when we feel we are trapped in obligation. “Have to” tells our soul we have no choice. Our souls are wired to fight being placed in positions where freedom to be all we can be is in jeopardy. The world is so good at taking us to places where “have to” is our only consideration.

Just think of that last bad situation you faced. Didn’t you describe the things that were associated with that situation as “have to” duties? The cancer sufferer is in a place where he or she HAS TO receive Chemo. The out of work person HAS TO look for that next job. At some point they will HAVE TO settle for yet another underpaying and appreciation lacking position way below what their abilities should support. The mom of that special needs child HAS TO get up and conquer, yet another day of struggle as she fights to make things as normal as they can be for her family.

“Have to” can be such a depressing and demoralizing part of the life of a victor. It is when “Have to” is in control that the miracles can be missed. Meeting that ray of hope at the chemo lab, having time off to spend with the child that really needs their parent at that moment, appreciating the tender look of that special needs child that can do so little on their own. Miracle after miracle happens but are often overlooked as the amazing gets washed away with the pain and suffering of challenging situations.

Check out what the Bible says with regards to the miracles of God in our lives. 

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 49:10 (NIV)

Want to know a real miracle? It is in the words from today's reading. The miracle is that God is there for us! He will strengthen us. He will help us. I love the picture of God holding us up with his right hand. That's His power hand! It is as though nothing else matters but us as I read this verse. That's a miracle beyond anything I could ever expect. I hope you aren't missing that miracle in your life today. 

Yes, I know that it sounds like this verse is saying everything will be OK. I wish that was always the case when we choose to follow this God that loves us. No, sometimes bad times are part of the plan to make this world a different place for the light of God to shine through the darkness. If you are expecting the miracle of a perfect life, I'm afraid you will ultimately be disappointed. That's just not what God promises. 

There are times He takes us out of challenging situations. That's a miracle I pray you experience today if times are bad. But that's not His guarantee. What He promise is that He will go through the challenging times with us. Sometimes going through the situation is more important to God's plan than being taken out of that same situation. 

It is when we view our situation as an obligation laced with "Have to" tasks that we tend to overlook the miracles happening all around us. Take time today to appreciate all that God has done and is doing in your life. Look in the faces of those around you for a glimpse of the miracle God wants to show you today. Don't let "Have to" living make your soul run itself ragged trying to make sure your situation stays just as you want it to be. Let God be the provider of the strength, and direction even in times that are challenging to the good life you have worked so hard to build for yourself. That's the only way you will be able to live out this victor status in the miracle filled life God has planned for you today.

Day 112 - Broken Hope

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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“Brokenness requires that we feel the despair that comes with being completely without hope and purpose. We need to feel like the dirt that God made us to be in order for us to come to a place where brokenness can have the power in our soul it needs to have. But hear me loud and clear: this place of hopelessness, despair and confusion isn’t where God wants us to stay.”

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 164.

Now that’s a bummer of a statement I just quoted. Have you ever been in that place of being completely without hope in the things of this world? I can tell you from experience, that’s not a place you ever want to be. Sadly, it is a place where we all will go, sometimes more than once in this life. Thank God that it is His plan to bring us out of that place in ways that will change us forever.

It is when we come close to that line of total despair and return that life can turn in a radically different direction. Ask any person who has stared death in the face and won what that moment is like. Life is just different. The things around them look brighter; foods take on a taste that is more intense. Life just feels different. At least that’s the way life is for a while after their return from the brink.

Brokenness that comes from getting close to the edge without going over is something that is a benefit in the lives of the victor. I don’t for a minute think that God has to break us like a wild horse in order to allow us to live the life of a victor. However, being broken is an event that opens our eyes to the possibility of believing in something more than ourselves in ways that makes us a powerful force to be reckoned with.

If we can come back from that place of being without hope and purpose in ways that allow us to consider a different hope and direction, brokenness will have played an important role in our lives. Hope and purpose in ourselves is a strategy that just can’t work in world changing ways for the vast majority of us. I can’t think of a single human being who has made history that hasn’t had to be taken to the brink before their life changing ways impacted this world. Same goes for you and for me.

I’m in no way saying that we should relish the times of breaking in our lives. Nor can we take steps to hasten when and how long that breaking process takes. Our job is to put one foot in front of the other and look for how this life works to make it possible for us to find hope and purpose in something greater than ourselves.

Take a look at today’s Bible reading. It focuses on how we are to go about living in those times where hope seems so far from being within our grasp.

Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.” But you, LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high. I call out to the LORD, and he answers me from his holy mountain. I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me. I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side. Psalm 3:2-6 (NIV)

When hope is an issue, our biggest battle is with the words of this world. People will try to crush your faith in God asking why He hasn't rescued you. As time goes on it is so easy to believe that our faith is useless as so many will be saying all around us.

Hope comes as we hang on to the promises of God. He is our shield. He lifts our heads high. He answers from on high. All these promises makes it possible for us to lay our head down and sleep in the midst of the storm. We can expect God to show up in ways that will confound this crazy world. Problem is that we can't put our expectation as to what His showing up will look like in our circumstances.

It is when we put our expectations on God that victim thinking quickly takes control. God's ways are not our ways so what we believe is good and right might not line up with what God sees as necessary. That's a really hard concept to accept but what choice do we have. God is god - we are not! The sooner we get this reality in our lives the easier it will be to have the kind of faith that produces hope when the tides turn against us.

I pray that today is a day filled with hope in so many different ways for you. I know from experience that that will only happen as you take your day on one moment at a time. Don't get too far ahead of yourself or hope will look so faded and distant. Faith isn't an hour by hour thing when we are in challenging times. It is a second by second thing. Hang on to the hope that God has for you today. Don't let the world dictate what that hope has to look like and know that God's plan is for you in ways that is beyond all you could ever think, dream or even ask for in this life.

Day 111 – Faith

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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"Victims, like victors, have faith. Victims have been taught faith in themselves; faith to provide for themselves the essentials of their life."

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 128.

Faith is such a fascinating concept. It is so hard to explain, yet we all know what it means. Faith plays a role in all parts of our lives. For some, faith is in a higher being. For others, faith is that the chair they are about to sit in will support their weight. You don’t have to be particularly religious to know faith is something we lean on each and everyday of our lives.

In addition to religious faith and faith in the physical things of this world, we also have faith in ourselves. Victim thinkers and those seeking to live the life of a victor are alike in this fact. The difference in being able to stay out of victim thinking situations surrounding faith is when we consider identity and the things that support that identity.

It is when we must totally rely on ourselves to provide the things that will bolster the identity we want the world to see us as, that victim thinking becomes a real possibility. I don’t care how good you are at what you do, you simply can’t maintain a perfect record when it comes to what it takes to make your preferred identity a reality. As I have pointed out time and time again, it is when we face repeated times of defeat that the possibility for victim thinking becomes something we might need to consider.

Those seeking to live the life of a victor have realized that faith in self isn’t going to cut it when it comes to establishing and maintaining an identity that supports their victor lifestyle. The victor just can’t stand one more defeat being something that threatens their identity like it has so many times in the past. I’m in no way saying that the victor doesn’t face defeat; They do! It is that the victor has realized that whether they win or lose, faith in something other than self is what is needed to know and live out an identity that truly means something.

When it comes to identity, we need faith that is based on something lasting, something that is the same whether we are on the plus side of life or whether negative seems to be ruling the day. For me, faith that has brought that kind of permanence is faith in who God says I am. If you have found something more permanent than faith in yourself that works when it comes to identity, that’s awesome. For me, God’s description of me is all that has withstood the down times of life I have faced.

Today’s Bible reading highlights the identity that allows my faith to be all it can be in this crazy, victimizing world.

And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me," Says the Lord Almighty. 2 Corinthians 6:18 (NASB)

It's pretty clear who God thinks you and I are. We are His Children. There is nothing in me that I can have faith in that makes this identity possible. Just as true is the fact that there is nothing I will do to create an identity that can match the faith filled reality of who I am in God's eyes. As God's Child, we are victors, even when the things we do don't turn out quite the way we had planned.

The results of having faith in our ability to build a lasting and world changing identity are pretty lack luster for the majority of us alive today. It is when we grasp the fullness of what it means to be a child of God's that power is there even when we feel the most powerless in this life.

God wants us to be all we can be. He doesn't expect us to stop pursuing all the good things we can in this world. He has blessed us with talents and opportunities to exercise those talents in ways we may find hard to believe at times. It isn't that God wants us to sit by and do nothing with those talents. God wants us to realize that having faith in our abilities to provide proof of who we are is such a personally damaging strategy to put into place. It is when we put our faith in who God says we are that what we do takes on a power all it's own.

I'd like to say that living out our identity as God's child guarantees that all will go well in our lives. Faith in that kind of thinking is just as worthless as faith in ourselves when it comes to identity. Good things are going to happen to you today as you live out this identity as God's Child. Bad things are going to happen as well. If you are banking on the good to prove who you are you will find disappointment will lead to victim thinking as bad things come your way.

All I'm saying is have faith today. Not faith based solely in your abilities, but faith in who God says you are as well. That's the only way you will truly be able to live the victor status God has promised that you can see in your life today.

Day 110 - Relationship or Religion

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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“The difference between religion and relationship is identity. Religion uses roles to empower the identity we want or think we need in an effort to make the best happen for the Church. Relationship allows identity to empower the roles we have in the Church so that God’s Plan can be more fully put into place.”

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 78.

Identity plays such a powerful role in so many things in our lives. Religion is no exception. Identity, if applied in the wrong way in our religious expressions, can turn our experience into something it was never intended to be.

God didn't set out to create a religion so that we could find ways to serve Him. He has always wanted us to flourish under the love of relationship. Identity is what makes it possible for us to live fully in relationship and fight off the bondage making ways religion tends to offer up.

You see religion, in its worst form, is focused on the entity of the church, not the individual of the congregation. Religion wants to make your identity all it can be so that you are more useful to the mission of your local church. That’s not such a bad result, but being the primary goal is not such a good victor making, relational strategy.

Identity isn’t there for a result. It is there for a purpose. That purpose isn’t to build a big church. It isn’t even there to convert others to our way of belief. Now, there’s a statement many will argue with me on.

No, I believe identity’s purpose is to relate to this God that created us in ways that make it so we can’t help but to talk about Him. It isn’t an issue of conversion and growth God is worried about. It is an issue of conversations and relationships that fuel the fire of God’s love in world changing ways.

It is when we are so connected to this God that people notice the difference in our lives. Identity’s purpose is so obvious to those around us when we are relating to God rather than using religion to somehow justify our existence to our piers and to God Himself.

Relationship with God empowers our identity in ways that make the roles we play in life so much more impacting from a heavenly perspective. Religion worries way too much about roles first and then works to focus on matching those roles to the right identities so that maximum impact can be had in the church. Roles being used to define identity is such a victim thinking way of approaching life both in our religious world and in the secular world as well.

It is when we know who we are that we will know what to do in our life. Religion gets this all backwards and uses roles to try and identify and utilize identities. Here's what the Bible says about the role that we all play as we know what our identity is.

We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 5:20 (NIV)

Religion is working to try and train up a bunch of ambassadors. Again, not a bad strategy but it just can't be the primary focus of what religion is all about. Taking any good strategy and making it a means to an end is a sure fire way to see the victimizing effects of religion take hold. Victim thinking can't help but to happen when we allow roles to be what are promoted through identity rather than relying on who God says we are to empower those roles.

I think that is what Paul is saying in his last sentence of today's reading. "Be reconciled to God." It is when we are so connected to Him that we start to understand more completely who we are. When we have a grasp on who we are it is so easy to see what it is we are to be doing with God through the lens of that identity. Getting to this point takes relationship, not religion.

When we use a religious approach to identity and roles we fall into patterns where victim thinking can really take hold. The religious approach has to rely on results in order to measure success. As I have stated over and over again, anything associated with identity that has a chance of failure will ultimately get us to doubt that identity.  It is when we have connected our identity to roles and the results of those roles don't turn out how we thought they should that we face pain.

God can't stand His children to face the kinds of internal pain that comes with doubting who we are. I think that's why God hates religion - religion looks to results as confirmation of identity and that will ultimately fail us in ways that will cause us pain. He wants His Children to live powerfully in who they are no matter the results of what they do.

Today you have a choice. You can live in religion or in relationship. I hope you choose relationship. That's the place where you have the best chance to live like the victor God has made you. Don't let the success or failure of what you do be a measure of who you are. Live freely in the fact that you are God's Child and even your failures are useful to your Heavenly Father who loves you so much.

Day 109 – Such A Time As This

Click here to link directly to the audio file.

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Timing is everything in life, isn’t it?  Few things are worse then when that thing that you so need seems to show up late. Throw on top of all that the fact that time is such a challenging thing to figure out yet alone control and timing can be such a victim making event in our lives.

Today’s Bible reading is one that really makes me think. It comes from the Book of Galatians. Galatians was a book written by the Apostle Paul to a church he helped form some time before. Apparently this church had been visited by teachers who were corrupting the simple message of salvation with rules and regulations that had the church confused to the point of disunity.

Paul wrote this letter to his beloved church with the hopes they would reject the restrictions being put on them and live fully in the freedom of the saving grace of Jesus Christ alone. This letter is just as important to us today. So many of our religious organizations want to add to the simple message of God’s grace in ways that work to rob us of the freedom God paid so much for us to have.

Right in the middle of Paul’s plea for his friends to choose freedom in Christ, he gives us today’s reading. It says;

What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces[a] of the world. But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir. Galatians 4:1-7 (NIV)

When I first read this I was kind of shocked. The thought that the children of God being slaves was something I didn’t want to accept. How could God stand for his precious children to be in bondage to anything in this world? The more I thought about it the more I realized how true Paul’s words are for us today.

So much of the things that we are involved in are what Paul would classify as slave making events. It isn’t that we are necessarily being brutalized by these events It is that we are still in a place where the next step into the fullness of freedom hasn’t come to us as yet.

What controls the timing of that next step? According to our reading today, it is God Himself. Until such time as set by God… Those are powerful and haunting words. God actually knows when it is our time to take that next step from the bondage of slavery to the freedom of being an heir. Of course, the fullness of this walk towards freedom will come at the end of time when we meet God face to face. Until that time, we have to exercise our patience muscles and be willing to recognize when it is our time to move forward.

What is it in your life that is controlling you? What are the circumstances that are keeping you in bondage? They don’t have to be bad things, even the good things of this world can be tied to slavery in a way that fits Paul’s description of moving into greater and greater levels of understanding when it comes to our heirship in the Kingdom of God. Whatever they are, know this, there is a time set for you. A time when you will be fully empowered by God to step out of the place of bondage into the next level of freedom afforded the Child of God’s.

When is that time? Ah, there’s the question of the day. Today might just be your day! How will you know? You just will. Maybe it is a set of circumstances that just can’t be missed that catches your eye. Maybe it is a word from God that is so clear and resounding. Maybe it is just a feeling of resolve that won’t go away.

What ever it looks like your victor status guarantees that God has times for you. Times are set when you will shake off the past and take on the future in ways that make victim thinking something that is easier and easier to not bind you up in ways it use to. As you wait for those times set by God rejoice in your status as a victor. Do all you can to shed the ways of this world that drag you down and wait on Him. His timing is perfect. So are you in His eyes. Rest in that fact until He says it is time to move, then move out into that place of heirship He has made available to you and to me.

Day 108 - Insanity

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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"Victors are nothing more than past victims who have found sanity. Humility that leads to contentment and earnestly seeking God turns the tide of insanity."

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 118.

I use to find it very insulting if someone called me crazy. I think that it bothered me so because I happened to believe that sanity was the norm. Anything that challenged that norm offend me quite deeply. I now realize that sanity is really the exception - insanity is the norm in this crazy world. I'm proud to say I am just as insane as the next person. 

I'm in no way making fun of mental illness with this discussion. The kind of crazy I'm talking about is an insanity that comes from doing things that just don't make sense in the big picture of how God sees our life. It's like the story of the person who walks down the street and falls in the same hole day after day. Instead of changing routs so he doesn't fall in that hole he keeps going the same direction and is surprised when he finds himself stuck in that hole all over again. Doing the same thing expecting different results is the kind of insanity that I want to touch on in today's presentation. 

I hope talking about the fact that I see us all as a bit insane at times doesn't offend you. Look, we live in a crazy place with crazy making rules and expectations. Those rules and expectations are what can end up getting us all in places where our pride is there ready to make us do things that really aren't that productive in the long run. When our pride gets hold of our actions, insanity threatens to be the norm. 

It is the pride of the victim thinker that makes it possible for trouble to start. When we want so desperately to be something that this world views as acceptable that our pride works overtime to get us to places where we feel we are OK in the eyes of those around us. Pride is just as bad at promoting identity as is the strategy of using the world for confirmation of our identity. When we rely on pride to help us figure out and establish who we are is when the problems that can make it feel as though we are going totally insane tend to arise.

Take a look at today's Bible reading with regards to the negative power of pride in our lives.

Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice. Proverbs 13:10 (NIV)

It is when we are caught in the rat race of this life that crazy can rule the day. That crazy can easily be defined as strive. Victim thinking is a place where the kind of insanity I'm talking about can really be seen. The more the victim thinker works to get this world to confirm their identity, the more they are like that guy falling in the hole on that well worn route he just can't seem to change. 

So, what's the answer to ending this strife? It's time for some wisdom. That wisdom comes from listening to and putting into practice advice. Here it is. If you keep falling into the same hole time and time again, change your route! In other words, stop using the world to help you define and confirm who you are. Listen to the God that made you. You are His Child and that makes you a victor. 

Victors aren't immune to the issues of pride sneaking up in their lives. They just seem to be able to recognize when they are going down the same path all over again and are willing to STOP and CHANGE. What makes them able to stop and change is something called humility. 

Interesting thing is that I don't think humility is the opposite of pride. Where pride is the ability to think more highly of ourselves then we should, humility isn't the opposite. If that were the case, humility would be thinking less of ourselves. That's still pride, in a perverse way, because WE are still the focus. 

I believe the kind of humility that really brings us to sanity is one that lets us not have any opinion of ourselves at all. In other words, humility that really makes a difference is something that gets us to a place where we are so comfortable with who we are we don't even have to give identity a second thought. Truth is, that kind of humility is something that takes a lifetime to cultivate in our lives. 

The only way to get to that place where sanity can rule in our lives is to grab onto an identity that doesn't require us to work at proving or supporting that identity. The only identity I know of that fits that bill is that given to me by God. I can do nothing to earn the identity of Child of God and also can't do anything more to earn more of that identity. Child of God gives me a chance to practice humility when I choose to live in that place where I don't have to give a second thought to that identity. 

Today can be one of the most sane days of your life. It will come the more and more you believe you are who God says you are and allow the things you do today take on a different meaning other than being connected to your identity. Live the life of a victor God has made for you today. Live freely as His Child and let sanity be what sets you apart as you take on your day today.

Day 107 - Transparency

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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"Transparency is a terrible enemy to the victim thinker, except when transparency is used as a tool to get the sympathy that might make them feel OK about themselves."

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 129.

It is a scary thing to be open, I mean really open with another person. What if they think less of you for what you say? What if their judgement of you is so harsh that they reject you all together? What if they spread that sensitive news about you to others so that they too will reject you? Transparency is a terribly threatening option in our lives. 

This world has done an amazing job of making it so that we have to keep up facade after facade in our lives. The walls we build to keep people from peering inside our of lives are actually keeping them away from who we really are. For most of us that is a totally OK scenario. It is when we really don't know who we are that walls are a good thing so as to keep people from discovering the fact that we are clueless when it comes to identity. 

A friend of mine said this about facades. He said we have these partially constructed walls all around us to shield people in our various circles of influence from seeing the real us. We have facades at work, facades at home, facades for our neighbors and even facades when we are driving on the highway. He then said the worst thing of all happens. We get exposed to a church family. Then another entirely different set of more and more intricate facades are required to keep those we see as the perfect people around us from seeing how imperfect we really are. It all becomes too much to bear!

There is nothing more freeing than to be able to live as facade free as possible. That's what transparency is all about. It is when we can be open with others about the realness of our lives and be accepted in that realness is when life takes a turn from victim thinking to victor living. Transparency is the beginning of a walk with God that lets us live in a place of acceptance, love and identity unlike anything else we can do in our lives. 

The Apostle Paul wrote today's Bible reading on the subject of being open to one another. 

As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 1 Corinthians 12:20-25 (NIV)

It is when we are unified in the fact that we are different and that difference is what makes us a powerful force that we can be open about who we really are. We really don't have to be closed about our short comings and our failings. They literally help shape the way we lean into this God of ours. Were it not for the negative ways we want to keep hidden we would have no need for the saving grace that has been so freely given to us all. God doesn't seem to mind the negative habits in our lives, why should any one else mind?

This is in no way a license to freely do what we want, particularly when what we want to do is considered sin. It is merely a statement of fact that in spite of who we are at this moment, God cares for us. He actually sees us as perfect, blameless and without fault all because of the work of Jesus in our lives. 

So what's a person to do with transparency? Are we to step up on the stage at our church and air all our dirty laundry? Good God No! I hate to say it this directly but church can be one of the most unsafe places to be transparent. Any group, including a church group, can be a place where judgement is used to make conformity something seen as a benefit. Unity and conformity are two diametrically opposed things in my humble opinion. 

No, transparency needs to be done in a safe place. That is usually one on one in godly relationships used to sharpen each other. I have a number of men in my life that I can openly share anything without fear of judgement or rejection. That gives me the freedom to let God in in ways where the negative attributes of my life can be changed by Him. The love these men show me through their acceptance of me in spite of my sinful ways is a mirror image of what God does for us all. 

You need to get that mess in your life out. It isn't an option! You can't live the life of a victor hiding behind walls that are so feebly constructed. You need people who aren't interested in changing you. You need others who can love you like God does, unconditionally and without judgement. 

Take time to do an inventory today. Who in your life is someone you view as safe. If you can't think of anyone like that, it is time to go on the hunt. They are there. They are in your church. Ask God to direct you to them. They are waiting to love you in a way that will open your eyes to the power of God's love for this world that your soul longs to see. Live the fullness of the victor's life God has set before you. Get out from behind all those walls and let the beauty of God shine from you in ways that will change lives today.