Day 155 - Standard of Prosperity

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 victimization aspects of prosperity come in slowly, sometimes over a lifetime. The results are harder to recognize and sometimes much more difficult to treat."

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 100.

We talked about provision yesterday. It is when we are in times where provision is so hard to come by that victim thinking can sneak in in ways that God never intended. Prosperity is also a subject that can make victim thinking happen in our lives. The difference between the victim thinking ways of provision and prosperity has to do with time. 

Where the victim thinking ways that come with provision happen quickly, the victim thinking tendencies that come with prosperity take time to establish. Because of this fact, victim thinking resulting from lack of provision don't have time to sink deep roots. That makes this kind of victim thinking much easier to eliminate from the victor's life. 

Lacking what we think we need to be prosperous is something all together different. Because the victim thinking aspects that come with lack of prosperity takes time, the roots are afforded the opportunity to sink deep and wide in our lives. Victim thinking that comes from issues surrounding prosperity are difficult to get rid of - it takes concerted effort to eliminate them from the victor's life. 

It all comes back to identity. Provision issues are immediate attacks on identity. Though these attacks can cause great damage in the life of a victor, they are much more easy to recognize and combat. Attacks on our identity through prosperity happen over long and drawn out periods of our lives. The enemy has plenty of time when it comes to attacking our identity through prosperity. He wisely uses that time in ways that can drive victim thinking deep down into our souls.

The only way to fight victim thinking that comes as a result of our believes on prosperity is through identity. Satan wants us to live in a place where we believe that who we are isn't good enough to be blessed by a good God. He wants us to doubt our worth before a God that is to be called good. If we doubt the goodness of God we are in a position where we will not follow and obey this God. In that place, victim thinking thrives and Satan wins. 

Our difficulty in making prosperity happen in our lives in the manner and timing we demand is so evident in the following question. Today's Bible reading comes from a man fighting to understand the issues of prosperity that were thrust upon him. Job asks;

Why do the wicked prosper, growing old and powerful? Job 21:7 (NLT)

Job is basically saying, "Why do those that don't follow you seem to have prosperity and those that do follow you don't?" This kind of universal thinking is such a victim thinking strategy. I guarantee that there are followers of God who never have issues with prosperity like Job had. The same can be said for the opposite situation. There are also those who don't follow God who see prosperity as something out of their reach as well. Universal statements do nothing for our victor status except make us feel less by comparison to the rest of the world. It didn't work for Job and comparison thinking won't work for you and for me either. 

It is when we are so connected to our identities as God's Child that we can fight the issues of prosperity in our lives. If we know who we are, then times of prosperity won't make us overly proud and times of lack won't leave us in places of dejection. It is when we know who we are that victim thinking situations that come with provision and prosperity put us in a place where we can fight for our standing without needing our circumstances to be part of the proof of that standing. 

That's what Satan can't stand in our lives. To be in a place where no matter how bad our circumstances are we are still willing and able to worship, love and serve the God that made us drives Satan insane! It is when we doubt the goodness of God that we place ourselves in a position where the power of who we are has no impact in this world. 

Your status as a victor has no connection what so ever to how much you have in your life. Same goes when the lack in your life makes you think prosperity will never be something you will experience. Our situations always change. That's why connecting our situation to our identity is such a victim thinking proposition. 

I don't know how you feel about prosperity right now in your life, however, I do know this. If you are allowing prosperity, or the lack there of, be part of how you view who you are, you are heading for difficult times filled with victim thinking strategies. Those strategies just don't work! They didn't work for Job. They haven't worked for me and they won't work for you either. 

Today needs to be different when it comes to seeking prosperity in your life. Go after as much as you feel called to pursue. Go after the goodies of this world for any other reason except for allowing those goodies to prove who you are. God has spoken your identity out before you were even born. He has taken steps to give you that identity way before this day every came about. You are His Child and that makes you a victor no matter what you choose to use as a standard of prosperity in your life. 

Day 154 - Rights of the Heir

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 it looks like God isn’t providing how and when we want, victim thinking is quick to take hold in our lives."

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 88.

Have you ever been in a place where what you need just doesn't seem to be coming your way? That's a terrible place for anyone of us to be. That situation can leave us thinking that we are alone and not worthy of having even the basic desires of our lives met by those around us and by God Himself. It is when the provisions needed in our life seem to be missing in action that victim thinking can really take hold. 

When what we need, what we are praying for the most in our lives doesn't show up how we think it should or in the timing we need it to is when doubts can creep into our lives. Doubts about who we are. Doubts about our capabilities. Doubts about our value and worth. Doubts that makes it possible for victim thinking to enter into our lives in ways that make it hard to ever believe that we will be victors in any way at all. 

It is such a sad fact that provision can be such a victim thinking proposition when provision is an issue in our lives. We tend to tie our identities to our ability to provide for ourselves and our family in ways that God never intended it to be. And, who can blame us for connecting identity to provision. It is so easy to feel good about who we are when things are going our way. The opposite is just as true. It is so easy to feel bad about our identities when circumstances aren't working out the way we planned. 

It is times like this when I am so glad to be part of a relationship with God that includes Jesus Christ. You see, Jesus was just as much a human being as you and as me. He too had these same kinds of thoughts and feelings. Victim thinking was just as much a possibility for Jesus as it is for anyone of us alive today. I hope that statement doesn't offend you - I'm absolutely positive it doesn't offend Jesus. How can I be so sure of that fact? The Bible backs me up on how human Jesus was. Check out today's Bible reading with me. 

Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion. Philippians 2:7-8 (MSG)

Jesus humbled Himself. He took on the status of a slave - a powerful description of being human. Jesus gave up the special privileges that came with being God's son so that He could relate to you and to me in ways that only come with living life like we do.  His act was a selfless and obedient act of love for the Father and for us. 

By becoming human, Jesus understands the trails and tribulations we face in ways no other heavenly being can possibly understand. Until you have walked in the shoes of another you really can't understand the challenges they face. That's what amazes me so about the God of Christianity. His ability to understand and to relate to His creation is unlike any other religion I have ever seen. That ability to understand brings a connection that makes relationship with this God something unlike anything else in all creation. 

I love the first line of our reading today. "Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus though of himself." Now there's a strategy for victor living if I have ever seen one. It is when we think of ourselves like Jesus that we have the ability to fight off victim thinking when things aren't going our way. Look at our reading for how Jesus thought of himself. 

"He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what." Jesus was and is equal to God the Father. They are one in the same. Yet, when Jesus became man he laid down this lofty status so that He could relate to you and to me. He didn't insist on getting His way the way a King has every right to do. Even when things went wrong for Jesus he refused to cling to the benefits of His status the way I know I would do if I were in that same position. 

The fact is that we are just like Jesus. We are heirs to the Kingdom of God. That fact affords us every right to demand all the benefit that position grants us. Our job is to be like Jesus in every way. He never demanded His rights to the Kingdom like he could have when he was here on earth. That's not why He was here. Though He could have done all He could to make His comfort assured, He stuck to the plan God had for Him and our future is secured as a result. 

Maybe the fact that provision has been slow in coming is part of a plan in your life that is bigger than just your situation. Maybe the fact that you are just like Jesus is a fact that is being played out on a cosmic scale that makes the temporary problems you are facing right now nothing in comparison. I have to believe that every action, every ache and pain, every victory and every loss has a significance beyond what I might be able to comprehend. 

If we are to think of ourselves like Jesus, then I think we are to expect the same possibilities for hardship that Jesus faced. It is in times of desperation that the world sees our God in a light that makes them choose for themselves what they are going to do with the possibility of a relationship with this God. Though we have every right to demand all we can get from this world, maybe we are to be more like Jesus and demand a closeness to God instead. 

I know how hard it is to live in a place where provision is hard to come by. This is made so much more difficult by the fact that it seems that we have rights from Heaven that make it so we should never have to be in want. I also know that if I want to live like the victor God has made possible for me, then I have to be a lot like Jesus more in my life. Victor living can only come when I surrender my rights to everything in view of my relationship with God like Jesus modeled so completely for us all. 

As you face challenges in provision today, be like Jesus. Turn to the Father and ask. Ask for His closeness. Ask for His presence. Ask for His prospective. Ask for His provision. Then let what God provides be exactly enough for you, a Child of the King.

Day 153 - We vs Me

Click here to link directly to the audio file.

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We spend so much of our spiritual life focused on "Me". It is when we let the "We" of a walk with God overwhelm us that the life of a victor can really begin to be understood.

God is all about relationship. Our Christian understanding of this God is best described as "three in one." There is God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. As you can see from that combination of characters, God is definitely a "We" prospect rather than a "Me" reality. Why would it be any different for you and for me?

Seeing that we are made in the image of God shouldn't we expect to live a "We"existence as well? We too are made up of three parts - Spirit, Soul and Flesh. Just like our creator, our lives should look a lot more like "We" rather "Me."

Yet, we are so quick to default to a "Me" status. When we have problems, we tend to isolate ourselves. When we find ourselves doing things that might be considered sin, we tend to block out others so as to make sure they don't find out about what we are doing.

Our fear of what others think and of rejection by the world drive us to live a very "Me" centered kind of existence. Even some of our Church teachings tend to focus us in the direction of "Me". We ask each other questions like, "What is God's purpose for my life?" and "Am I in the middle of God's Will?" Both questions come from a place of singularity in a reality that is so pluralistic.

I was meeting with a group of friends one Monday morning. These same group of guys have  been meeting for several years now. One friend was sharing about some particular challenges he was facing. Unlike so many other groups I have been in, this group has enabled us to be totally open with each other in ways that has made some pretty big changes in our lives possible.

As we listened to some confessions that would have normally brought some kind of judgement and ushered in some kind of Biblical fix, I felt a closeness to this group that was so tangible it isn't even funny. This friend was sharing how he was about to step back into a coping mechanism he has that the rest of the church condemns as sin. Just as he was about to step into the muck and mire all over again, he received a text from one of the others just "checking in."

My friend said that at that moment he felt the power of "We". It was no longer just the "Me" of his existence fighting off the temptations that have overwhelmed us all from time to time. It was the "We" of a God that happened to make it a point to have a dear friend text him at just the exact right moment that made the difference for my friend.

It is when we feel alone, isolated and separate that it is so easy to let the world do what it will to our lives. Not much cultivates victim thinking more than living a "Me" kind of existence. It is when we feel no one is like us or that we are so isolated that no one could love or accept us that the ravages of victim thinking can really take hold.

Check out what the Bible says about living a "Me" kind of life.

Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.” Genesis 2:18 (NASB)

Living a "Me" kind of life is the epitome of being alone. God saw that it wasn't good for the human race to live in a place of isolation and separation. It is in the power of coming together where the love of God can do things in and through our lives that makes change happen. So it was for Adam. Having a "Me" kind of existence just wasn't right in God's eyes so He made a suitable helper.

That's what we all are when we choose to let the "We" of life overwhelm our "Me" existence. "We" happened when that friend just so happened to contact another Child of God's at the exact right moment. Unwittingly, that friend became a suitable helper in ways that changed the other friend's life. That's the power of "We" living that makes us all more of the victors God has called us to be.

How much of your life today are you going to spend as a rugged individualist? Our society has done a great job at making us believe that going at it alone is the most virtuous and productive way of living. I'm starting to see this to be a lie that has to be broken in my life. It is when I let the "We" of God and the "We" of a relationship with others have influence in my life that I can stand more powerfully and victoriously in my world.

When things come against you today approach God in a different way. Ask Him, "What are we doing right now?" Look for what He is involved in and join Him in that effort. I guarantee you will see things in a different prospective when you realize you are not alone. It is when we can live in the place of "We" that we have an authority that might work to bring us into a deeper place of victor living. That's the place God wants you to dwell - it's a place of community and acceptance. A place where the power of "We" overcomes the victim thinking possibilities of being only a "Me."

Day 152 - Are You FOR or WITH?

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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"As we strive we do work for God. As we rest we work with God."

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 79.

Striving, when it comes to God's economy, is something that puts us exactly in the wrong place. I have found that when I strive with regards to who I am I set myself up for victim thinking. I believe that God wants an element of rest in our lives that striving just can't help but to destroy. 

I've heard it said that God doesn't want to be our employer. He wants to be our Father. It isn't about the results of relationship that God is concerned with. It is about the relationship itself that is so concerning to our God. That's why I can make the statement I made earlier - "As we strive we do work FOR God. As we rest we work WITH God."

I can't tell you how many people in the ministry I have met that are working FOR God. They strive to make it so that their efforts are something that God would approve of. It is as though they are working to prove they are something that God has already done all He can do to provide for them. Sadly, that is exactly what we do so often. We treat this free gift of becoming a Child of God as though we have to do all we can to repay the giver of this gift. 

What a sad waste of time all this striving is in the life of a victor. I believe that this is why most of us feel so victimized by the world and sometimes by God Himself. It feels like our efforts just aren't enough to please this God that is suppose to love us so. 

Want to know the hard truth? Our efforts aren't enough. They never will be. Nothing can ever repay this God of Love. Our efforts will always fall short. It is when we strive to change this unchangeable fact that we quickly end up demoralized and in despair. That's where we live when we are trapped in victim thinking. 

Look, I realize that we serve an all mighty King. From that standpoint we are nothing other than a hired hand. That's how most other religions treat participants. We are only as good as our last positive result. Unfortunately, we don't have the power on this side of heaven to be perfect. Our imperfections will make it so all the striving in the world will ultimately disappoint. String enough disappointments together and victim thinking can't help but be the result. 

God is so much more than an unsatisfied employer. He wants relationship with us. He wants to be able to have us barge right into the Holy of Holy's, climb up and sit in the lap of the most powerful being in all existence. He wants us to be so loved that we will come to Him with all our stuff and let Him sort it all out in his own unique way and in His own sweet time. 

That's why I believe the things we will do for God should never be tied to striving. Striving equates work. Work will always let us down when it comes to knowing who we are. God Himself made it that way when He cursed man with the fact that work will never be enough to prove who we are. Why do we keep fighting to change God's mind on this? He simply won't change. 

Unless we believe what God says about us and approach Him from the vantage point of our efforts being useless to Him we will always be in that peace robbing place of striving. It is when we come to God knowing who we are that we can join God in what He is doing in peace filled ways that can only be described as rest. 

Here's what the Bible says about the topic of rest. 

My soul waits in silence for God only; From Him is my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken. Psalm 62:1-2 (NASB)

When it comes to striving and identity, the soul is the key. When the soul is put on notice by striving we will work ourselves to exhaustion to prove something that God has already stated is true. When we step into the fullness of the faith to believe God at His word our souls can rest in ways that make the power of God flow through them in world changing ways. 

When we strive our souls take on the burdensome task of working for God. When we believe God for our identities we are able to task our soul at joining God in what He is doing. Working WITH God is so much more powerful and productive than working FOR God. Our souls feed on working WITH God and are exhausted at the prospect at working FOR Him. 

Today you need to do a little word check when it comes to your work. Are you working FOR God or are you working WITH God. The difference will always boil down to the motivations for your work in the first place. If you are working to try and prove something - something to yourself, something to others and/or something to God - you are in a place of FOR. If your work is being done out of a passion and a calling and maybe even a desire, then you are in the place of WITH. FOR will burn you out. WITH will empower you. Choose to work WITH God and watch how your victor status comes alive today no matter what the results of your actions might look like.  

Day 151 - Self Defense

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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"Corruption is nothing more than a natural means of self-defense."

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 69.

It is when we are in a place of having to defend ourselves or our position that we might be lead to do things that could be considered corrupt. I can't tell you how many times I have said things to those I love that have hurt them deeply all out of my feeling like I needed to defend myself. I'm starting to believe that being defensive is nothing more than a symptom of victim thinking acting out in my life. 

Being defensive is actually a type of aggression that is studied widely in humans. In its worst form, defensive aggression can lead to some serious situations where people can be physically hurt by those who are placed in a position where they feel they must defend themselves. I'm not so worried about the extremes of defensive aggression as part of this presentation. It is when I feel I must defend myself that I believe the victim to victor discussion really comes into clarity in my life. 

I can't think of a single time when I have become defensive that it wasn't over an issue directly tied to identity. Crazy thing is is that those closest to us seem to be able to say just the right thing at just the right time to put us in a place where we find it so easy to assume a defensive posture. 

You know what I mean. Isn't your spouse an expert at pushing just the right buttons that make you feel like you need to respond in a way that can only be described as being defensive? Guess what, you are that way to your spouse as well. In the vast majority of the cases where our close loved ones have set us off, it wasn't done intentionally. They might have just been making a simple statement but what we heard was nothing short of a full fledged attack on who we are. There are few things that set us off like an attack on our identity. 

What I'm learning in my life is that the better I am at accepting who God says I am the fewer the times I feel compelled to defend myself. Thankfully that is particularly the case with my wife. It is when I'm doubting who I am because of a challenging time in my life that I can jump to being defensive in relationship crushing ways. 

Today's Bible reading really hits it on the head when it comes to being defensive. It says, 

Don’t hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody. Don’t insist on getting even; that’s not for you to do. “I’ll do the judging,” says God. “I’ll take care of it.” Romans 12:19 (MSG)

The only way I know that I can live out this verse as fully as I can is to get to know who God says He has made me to be. I've been on a journey for the past ten plus years discovering what it looks like to be a Child of God. It has been a wild and eye opening journey. I feel like I have but scratched the surface on the subject. There is so much to learn. 

The benefit of being on this journey is that I am more comfortable with myself than I have ever been before. Things loved ones would say to me ten years ago that would set me off just don't have the same affect today as they use to. Maybe some of that change comes with maturity. All I know is that the better I am at believing who God says I am the less defensive I feel like I need to be. 

Sure there are times when we need to take a stand against the evil that speaks badly of good people in the world. I'm in no way saying that kind of defensiveness is inappropriate. It is when we feel that the very core of who we are is being attacked, particularly by those close to us is concerned, that we need to do a little self evaluation before we step fully into self defense mode. 

That evaluation needs to begin with the question, "Do I really believe that I am who God says I am?" If you believe that you are the victor God says you are then you need to ask another question. That question goes something like this, "Why did what this person say to me make me doubt what God says about my life?" The answer to that question will be a whole lot about you and will have very little to do with the person who said whatever it was that set you off in the first place. 

Today is a new day. Defensiveness doesn't have to play the negative role it has so many times in the past in your life.  Let the words God has spoken over your life be what makes it possible for your victor status be what shines through when something is said to you that makes defensiveness a possibility. God has said who you are. The words of this world can't ever come against God's word for you. Live in the freedom and power of being God's child and fight off the temptation to be defensive today.

Day 150 - Performance and Peace

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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"I don’t know of any other religion where personal performance is so clearly negated by the Love of God."

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 59.

I often have people ask me if I believe there is a God or not. Many of those folks are just trying to get a rise out of me. Some are actually interested. Whether it is the skeptic or just someone who wants to make fun of me for my weakness of believing in a God, I always give the same answer. 

I say, "I really can't prove that there is a God. I happen to believe that there are a lot of things in creation that point to something more than just random chance making all this happen. All I know is that my belief in a God, particularly the God of Christianity has brought me a peace that is unlike anything else I have ever felt in my life. If that is nothing more than me deluding myself or if that is weakness, I could care less. That peace is worth any accusation of being delusional or any ridicule I might face for being weak."

I then ask this simple question. "How's the peace in your life?" If they say they have peace I commend them for finding something that works for them and ask them what it is that they are doing that brings them their peace. Inevitably what they describe brings them peace is something that just can't last in anyone's life. I then ask, "What will happen to your peace when that thing you are relying on is gone?" Now the conversation really gets fun!

You see, my peace isn't predicated on anything I can do or on anything that this world can provide. Sure I'll settle for the peace that money or position or power or good old fashioned stuff can give from time to time. But I always wake up the reality that those things come and go and just can't be trusted for the kind of lasting peace my belief in a God has brought to my life. 

If the person hasn't given up talking religion with me at that point, our talk usually turns to the narrow mindedness and fallacy of Christianity. How can anyone believe in a person like Jesus who requires we pass through Him to get to this God? It is as though believing that Jesus came to save us is such an insulting and offensive concept. 

I then talk about the fact that Christianity is the only religion I have ever seen that has so little to do with our personal performance. It is all about God's love for us when it comes to my belief in Jesus Christ. 

You see, all other religions require that we get our act together in order to approach the God that they worship. I don't care what religion you choose, performance is the key to your advancement. Heck, even reincarnation is a performance based religion. Fail to improve on your self in this life you are doomed to repeat it over and over again until you finally are good enough to advance to the next level. 

I have said it over and over again in these presentation and I need to say it again. Anything that I tie to my belief in God that requires me to perform up to some man-made or man-interpreted standard is a religion that will ultimately fail me at the very best and abuse me in its worst cases. Victim thinking is the result when I'm put in a position where I have to perform to prove myself good enough to be part of something bigger than my simple existence here on earth. 

That's why I believe in Jesus. All I have to do is ask Him to pay for all that I have done, are doing and will do in my life that works to separate me from the God who made me. It is like a get out of jail free card! All the badness I have done is forgotten. All of the badness I will do will be overlooked. I don't have to do anything else but believe. What a deal! Why wouldn't anyone want that kind of deal? 

Here's what the Bible says is required to be in the presence of God. 

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, 'Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.' Romans 10:9-11 (NLT)

It doesn't say you need to get your act together. It doesn't say that you need to figure out who you are and what your purpose is here on earth. You don't even have to go to church, tithe, pray, read the Bible, fellowship, be a good steward, or live a perfect life. Putting some effort into each of those things will pay big dividends in your walk here on earth, but they are not required for your faith in Christ to be all it is suppose to be in the life of a believer. 

That can't be said about any other religion in the world that I know of. It is up to us in all other religions to get to where we need to be. With Christianity, it is all up to God. I'm not being lazy by choosing the performance lacking religion of Christianity, I'm being realistic. You see, I simply can't maintain the level of performance required for perfection for very long. Truth is you can't either. It is when we realize that our performance just isn't enough that peace goes out the window. 

That's why I can emphatically state "I Am A Victor!" even in the times when the results of my actions work to prove the opposite. I'm a victor not because of what I have done but because of what God has done for me. Sure I want to improve on my life and will take steps to do so as I find the energy and motivation to move in that direction. But, my peace isn't predicated on my ability to make results happen. 

How's your peace today? If you are lacking maybe it is time to take a look at how you are connecting to what you are doing with who you think you are. Do all you want and need to do today but don't let how what you do turns out be the basis on your standing in the world or with God Himself. You are a victor because God said you are. Live in that place of power and peace and let God's actions be all you need to make your life all it can be today.

Day 149 - Formed Into Purpose

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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"You are set apart for powerful and revealing glimpses of God’s Hand in your life."

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 56.

Talk about a purpose - that's one I want to believe more fully in my life - don't you? To be purposed with seeing times of God's powerful hand in my life is something I'd like to have a greater understanding as to how to make happen more often. 

Problem is that we can't do anything to make God's hand more visible in our lives. Sure we can read our Bibles more and spend more time in prayer. These are but two strategies that will help us get to know this God in ways that will make it easier to recognize God's hand in our lives. As for making God's hand be seen more in our lives, that's something that is just out of our control. 

I think that we need to be asking ourselves an important question. Why do we want to see God's Hand in our lives? Is it because we have a particular situation that is causing us discomfort of one kind or another and we would like God's Hand to be there to remove that situation? Or maybe it is that we have doubts that we think can only be answered by the miraculous. Whatever the reason, seeking after God's hand for any reason other than relationship with God is a strategy that has victim thinking written all over it. 

God is not there to meet our expectations. His actions, the results of His Hand moving in our lives, isn't something we can bank on to make our lives easier or more of what we want them to be. God didn't create us so that we could be served by Him. He created us for a purpose that includes acts of service to Him. It is when we are obedient to His call that we start to see His Hand moving more specifically in our lives. 

Take a look at what Isaiah says about God's Hands.

Still, God, you are our Father. We’re the clay and you’re our potter: All of us are what you made us. Psalm 64:8 (MSG)

Want to see evidence of God's hand in your life? Take a look in the mirror. The very fact that your reflection shows back an image is proof that God's Hand is in your life according to our reading today. 

We are the clay, God is the potter. It is the potter's hands that shapes the clay into something useful. I love how The Message puts the last line of this verse. "ALL OF US are what you made us." God didn't make part of you. He didn't forget a particular skill or ability that you feel you need to be more useful in this world. 

ALL of you was made by God. It took His hand to form each and every part of who you are. Even those things that you might think are a mistake in your life have been touched by the Hand of God. I'm in no way saying that God created some disability in your life - that would be just plain evil. But, the potter has allowed the blemishes to be part of the finished work for a purpose that some might think is down right foolish. Even what we think are mistakes are part of what has been set apart for purposes to see God's Hand even more clearly.

It has been my mistake over the years to universally equate God's Hand with getting what I ask for. Having my prayers answered is a clear move of God's Hand in my life to be sure. But it isn't the only way God's Hand can be seen. Answers are the easiest way to see God's Hand but He wants us to see His Hand in the hard as well. 

He is the potter, I am the clay. This is the only way I know that places me in the most advantageous position to live the life of the victor God has made available for me. In the good times, the potter is the one who makes it possible for me to reap the benefits of all the good that is happening in ways that glorify the works of the potter's hand. It is in the bad times when the potter shapes my life in ways that make it possible for the light of Heaven to be seen even when darkness seems to be winning the day. 

Last I checked, the clay has little to say about what it will be formed into by the potter. Yet, that's what I try and do when I'm all up in God's face telling Him how his hand should work in my life at times. God truly has the patience of a saint! His patience stems from the fact that we are loved dearly by our creator. He even overlooks me telling Him how He should be do His job when it comes to my life and to the lives of those around me. 

I know it is really tempting to think that God doesn't know what He is doing when the crazy times hit. It is so easy to think that we know best when we feel our life being challenged by this world. It is during those challenging times that we have an amazing opportunity to let the formation happen. His hands are on us. Those hands are expertly shaping our lives so that the maximum power of heaven can be seen here on earth. 

As you face your day today, think about this. You are nothing more than a lump of clay. That lump is useless until it has been formed into the vessel God intends your life to be. Let that shaping happen and watch as you catch glimpses of His hand in your life today. 

Day 148 - What Is Good?

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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"There will always be victims of evil and demented thinking and misrepresentations of good in this world."

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 8.

One of the most glaring obstacles to keeping victim thinking out of the victor’s life is the misrepresentation of what is good in this world. Not only are we willing and able to misrepresent what we think is good, we are in the horrible position of actually misinterpreting what is good.

Today’s Bible reading points out why victors find themselves in this position.

...but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die. Genesis 2:17 (NIV)

Adam and Eve ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil and we all face death as a result. What is good for your life? Unfortunately even trying to consider that question is condemned in the verse above. Death is the result of trying to determine good from bad in this world. But, how can that be?

We are limited in our ability to consider the issue of goodness from a Heavenly perspective. What the world tells us is good for our lives might not be the best when it comes from God’s view. That’s why God didn’t want us to know the difference between “good and bad.” He knew that it would kill a part of us on a moment by moment basis as we strive to obtain what our limited perspective thinks is good for our lives.

To help drive this home, let me ask you a question. Was it good for Jesus to die the terrible death that was thrust upon Him? From my  limited perspective of this worldview I would have to answer, absolutely not! But from the perspective of The Father, the suffering Jesus faced was the best, not only for Jesus’ relationship with God, but for the rest of us as well. It isn’t that God balances the greater good when it comes to goodness for our lives. It is simply a matter of Him being the only one who truly knows good from bad when it comes from a perspective based on eternity. Trying to live seeking goodness when we don’t have a complete eternal perspective is what kills the ability for the victor to live a victorious life when bad things come their way.

Victim thinking can take over the victor’s life when they try to determine good from bad based on the circumstances they face. That strategy has death written all over it. Victors are most alive when they live in the truth that they are God’s Child and nothing can separate them from the Love of The Father.

Which tree are you going to live from today? Are you going to die a thousand little deaths as you try to find and live out good in your life? Or, are you going to grab for all the freedom you can in the Tree of Life? Sometime switching from victim thinking to victor living is just a matter of relocating from one tree to another. Victors are meant to live in the tree of life. Stay there today and experience more of the freedom God has for you as His Child.

Day 147 - Guarantees

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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"Victory isn’t guaranteed in The Bible for any of us victors, nor is our lacking in victory a sign that we have to get ourselves right in God’s eyes."

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 34.

I just can’t find it anywhere in The Bible where it says that we are guaranteed victory in this life. I’m sorry, in spite of the well intentions of so many victim thinkers locked in the hope of a prosperity gospel, the guarantee of victory in this life just isn’t there.

This a sad fact for victors and victim thinkers alike. The difference between these two groups of people is that the victors have decided to risk their lives on the guarantees God actually makes. Take a look at today’s Bible reading at what God guarantees.

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. Ephesians 1:13-14 (NIV)

Paul is saying that God promises (guarantees) an inheritance. He has sent a piece of Himself, the Holy Spirit, as that guarantee. The Holy Spirit is actually collateral offered up by God as a promise to give us all the victory we could ever want when we pass from this part of eternity into the next.

Victors have thrown off the garment of victim thinking by living in the hope that God promises victory to be ours. Why can God make that promise? Because, The Bible is very clear; victory is God’s. If it is His, He can give it to us as an inheritance.

Inheritances only come after there is a passing. It isn’t God that will pass, it is our belief that this life can offer up some kind of proof that we are victors that will pass away. Victim thinkers cling to the hope that the victory promised by God is something they can use to prove to the world, and to God Himself, that they are the victors He made them to be.

Victory is in the bag when it comes to the life of a victor. What separates those living a victor’s life and those thinking like a victim is the believe that victory is guaranteed in this life.

Want to live a life of power and freedom that is due a victor? Let God be the one that worries about what victory means in your life. By all means, go after all the positive you can in this life. Just don’t let whether you achieve that positive outcome define who you are in any way. Victory is guaranteed as an inheritance from God. Give Him the freedom to give as He sees fit. The difference can really make you live like the victor He sees you be.

Day 146 - Effectiveness

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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"I’m going to go out on a limb here and say something about The Church. I believe the reason The Church feels so ineffective in seeing change in our world today is because we have forgotten who we are. We have allowed society to co-opt our identity in such a way that the Heavenly power available to us has been diminished."

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 21.

Wouldn’t it be nice to feel 100% effective in all that you do today? It may be simplistic of me to think this way, but I believe that it is possible to run on maximum effectiveness if two things occur. Number one, we have to know who we are. Number two, we have to hold loosely our definition of what effectiveness looks like.

Our identity as God’s Child has been purchased at a great price. The very life of Christ was demanded as ransom for our ability to live as God’s Child, which, makes us the victors we are. Living in that identity is paramount for us to live an effective life. The more we work to add to this basic identity with the underpinnings of roles in our lives, the greater the ability for our identity to be chipped away with the challenges we will face.

Unfortunately, our ability to live out who we are doesn’t guarantee that we will live in that zone of maximum effectiveness. Maximum effectiveness, for the victor, can only happen as we hold loosely what our definition of effectiveness looks like. The more we hold out our expectations of effectiveness, the greater the potential for disappointment to come as we judge how effective our lives are.

Today’s Bible reading gives us some insight in God’s plan for us to live in maximum effectiveness in our walk with Christ.

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Ephesians 4:11-13 (NIV)

How much do you feel tossed and turned by the circumstances surrounding the roles you play today? Do you feel like you aren’t having impact in the world around you to the extent you would like to? If you are like me there are times you feel totally ineffective and unproductive in having impact. Join the club! Victors and victim thinkers alike feel this way and can be negatively impacted by those feelings. The difference is that victors continually step back to that “safe-harbor” of identity. Living as God’s Child, no matter how crazy the world is treating you, is a place where you can regroup and take a stand against the negativity the world brings your way.

But, don’t stop there. Let God define AND implement what His view of effectiveness is in the world around you. Remember, the victor is probably never going to feel 100% satisfied with how effective his or her life is at any given moment. Expecting God sized things to happen in our lives is just part of the makeup of a Child of the King’s. Where we go wrong with this expectation is when we try and tell God what that expectation is suppose to look like in our lives.

Why not think of effectiveness a different way today? How about letting the fact that your true effectiveness might not be seen until you are face to face with your Heavenly Father. Maybe it’s time to assume (which is an actuality) that you are 100% effective 100% of the time since you carry with you the very image of God Himself. That puts any “failures” at being effective in a totally different light today. You are a “kid of the King”. Go and live completed in that fact today!

Day 145 - Beloved

Click here to link directly to the audio file.

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Beloved - there's an old fashioned word that isn't used much these days. What a shame. This is such a powerful word that paints a beautiful picture of the how God feels about us, His Children.

Beloved means to be dearly or greatly loved. It paints a picture of being close to the heart of the one who loves you. It is more than just being loved. It is being loved in a way that surpasses everything else that we might hold dear.

I believe that so much of the angst we feel in the world about who we are is due to the fact that we just don't get how much God really loves us. We are so busy trying to get our work or our relationships or our hobbies or our status or any of a million other things to be enough to prove to our fragile souls how much we are worthy of a love we need to feel so badly.

Brennan Manning, in his book "Abba's Child" puts it this way, "Define yourself radically as one beloved by God. This is the true self. Every other identity is illusion."

Way too many of us are living in that illusion Brennan speaks of in the quote above. Connecting identity to anything other than being loved by this God is such a victim thinking approach to this world. Yet, when that illusion works it feels so good to those of us who need something tangible when it comes to proof that we are worthy of love.

The problem with letting things we do be proof of who we are is that we won't always be able to find success at what we put our hands to. There will be situations where all our most competent and best efforts will fall short. When that happens we will find it hard to believe we are worthy of being the beloved if we have tied our failed actions to who we are. Our "true self" isn't one based on what we do. Our "true self" is something that is based on what has been done for us.

The fact that we are the beloved has nothing to do with how good we are at getting anything done. This fact is discretely made in a very familiar Bible verse I have used several times in these presentations. Take a look at this verse with me now.

And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, 'You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.' Luke 3:22 (NKJV)

I have said this before but it is worth repeating. At this point in Jesus' life he hadn't done a single thing to earn the title of beloved son. He hadn't raised anyone from the dead. He hadn't given sight to the blind yet. He hadn't made the lame walk, or calmed the storm, or fed the multitudes, or done anything of significance that deserved to be mentioned in The Bible. All Jesus had done to this point was to simply be - be the beloved God spoke out in an audible voice that very special day. We get ourselves into victim thinking trouble when we think that we have to do in order to be. God carefully shows us that we are the beloved, just like Jesus, by being, not by doing.

This isn't an argument against working in this life. Jesus had a lot to do, so do we. This is a call to let the work be what God intended it to be - a means by which His Kingdom can be built, not a confirmation that we are worthy of being dearly loved. We are the beloved because of who we are. We are His Children and that makes us the victors we so often try to make our actions prove.

Beloved never comes as a result of actions. It comes as a result of choice. It is God's choice to call us His beloved child. It is our choice to take His choice on faith and live out our lives as Jesus did in that place of being the beloved.

It is when we act from a place of being the beloved that power really happens in our lives. It is like we limit the power of God trying to use our actions as proof as to who we are. Want to know something really interesting? That's exactly what we do - we actually limit God's power by being distracted when we use our actions to prove something that just doesn't need to be proved. Our actions were meant for something more profound than trying to prove a fact that we might find hard to believe at times.

I don't know about you but I want power in my life. More than that, I want to be called the beloved like Jesus was. Fact is that I can have both these wants in my life by choosing to believe. By believing I am the Child God says I am my victor status is guaranteed no matter what circumstances I might come against today.

Maybe what we need to do is to write down Luke 3:22 on a card and look at it many, many times today. Maybe we need to hear God speaking over our lives as He did that day over Jesus' life. Maybe we need to hear that we too are the beloved son or daughter of the King! Talk about a victor filled proclaimaton! You Are The Beloved Child of God - and He is well pleased!

Day 144 - Rights

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 rights do I have as a victor? Honestly, the only answer that puts me in a place where expectation doesn’t lead to offense is, “I HAVE NO RIGHTS!” Maybe it’s just me, but thinking I have God-given rights puts me in a place of thinking I’m entitled."

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 206.

I believe the crux to the problem of our Victim-Based Society today is the issue of rights. We are so fortunate to live in a country that was formed on the amazing principle of freedom as a right that is granted by none other than God Himself. That foundation isn't the problem. It is what we have done to twist that foundation in ways that work to benefit the individual rather than the community that has made rights such a victim laced proposition in our society today. 

It is when the individual finds offense that their rights have been infringed upon that the issue of entitlement becomes such a powerful force in their life. Entitlement comes with such a demanding spirit. Entitlement is never really satisfied so offense continues to happen. The view that the personal rights of the victim are being continually squashed at every turn is confirmed in the eyes of the entitled. This kind of thinking pits one person against another. That causes disunity and ultimately victimization. Those who are entitled eventually come to the point where they are willing to victimize others as they fight for their rights in ways only a free country can ever allow. 

Salman Rushdie puts it this way. "Nobody has the right to not be offended. That right doesn't exist in any declaration I have ever read.  If you are offended it is your problem, and frankly lots of things offend lots of people. I can walk into a bookshop and point out a number of books that I find very unattractive in what they say. But it doesn't occur to me to burn the bookshop down. If you don't like a book, read another book. If you start reading a book and you decide you don't like it, nobody is telling you to finish it.  To read a 600-page novel and then say that it has deeply offended you: well, you have done a lot of work to be offended."

Yet that's where many of us are in today's Victim-Based Society. We are doing a lot of work to be offended. We feel we have the right to be offended and are entitled to compensation for that offense. We are working really hard at being offended and that is destroying the very fabric of our nation today. 

Paul in the Bible dealt with the issue of rights, entitlement and offense with the Church in Corinth. Check out today's Bible reading with me. 

Since we have planted spiritual seed among you, aren’t we entitled to a harvest of physical food and drink? If you support others who preach to you, shouldn’t we have an even greater right to be supported? But we have never used this right. We would rather put up with anything than be an obstacle to the Good News about Christ. 1 Corinthians 9:11-12 (NLT)

Paul is 100% correct. He has every right to be supported for the work he was doing with the people in Corinth. He was entitled to support in ways the people of that city had supported others in the past. Paul could have demanded that support and was on solid legal and ethical ground to do so. Yet Paul took a different tact. He decided that he was going to do something completely unheard of and radical by all comparison. He decided to abandon his rights for the good of all those he was called to serve. Now that's a victor's way of approaching the issue of victim thinking if I have ever seen one. 

Reality is that in this life, we have no rights. You see, rights come to those who are citizens of a nation. If you are not a citizen of a country than the basic rights afforded by that nation aren't yours to claim. Believers aren't citizens of the United States of America. We aren't citizens of the planet earth. We are citizens of a place we haven't even seen yet - a place that is so much superior to this place. A place where rights will take on a meaning we couldn't even imagine given our experiences here on this place so much less than what is to come. 

Rights? We have not rights because we don't belong here. This isn't our home. The only way we can ever deal with the issue of victim thinking tied to rights, entitlement and offense is to realize that this isn't our home. 

This doesn't mean that we are to ignore the basic principles of life when it comes to right and wrong in this life. There is nothing wrong with taking advantage of all the freedoms that have been given us in this country. What is wrong is to let offense be what controls us to the point where our entitlement drives us to be the instigators of victimization the way that victim thinking actions so often do. Our job isn't to be a doormat to the rest of the world. Our job is to keep offense as fart from our daily lives as possible. 

I guarantee that something will happen today that will offend you. What are you going to do with that offense? Are you going to let offense drive you to have an entitled spirit? I sure hope that isn't what happens to you today. Why? Because it is when we are entitled that our victor status is threatened so. 

As God's Child you have a right to be loved by this father the way He wants to love you. That's it. That's the only right we have. We don't have the right to tell God how to love us. We don't even have the right to be offended when He fails in our eyes to love us properly. We only have the right to be called His Child and to receive the life of a victor He has made for us. 

As you go about your day, don't let rights get in the way of who you are. That's so much easier said than done - I know. God is there empowering you to find your way through the Victim-Based Society that is working overtime to get you to join the ranks of entitled victims fighting for rights they hold so dear in their lives. Don't let that the world co-opt you in a way where your status as a victor is challenged. Let God lead you into a greater and greater realization of who you are. This is the only way your freedom can be maintained as the world works to limit you in victim thinking ways through offense, entitlement and rights.

Day 143 - Twists and Turns

Thoughts that have come from various quotes taken from the book, "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim Based Society" by John H. Hovis. Click here to link directly to the audio file.

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"When we have our destiny tied to what we do here on earth, our identity is able to get so convoluted that victim thinking can really take over. This is particularly the case for those who have felt God leading them in a particular direction only to have that direction fall short of their expectations in one way or another."

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 189.

It is so easy to view destiny as a straight line. I'm here, my destiny is there. The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Makes sense to me - right? Problem is that the things in this life are rarely that simple. The same goes for destiny.

I can't tell you how many times I have felt God leading me towards what I thought was a destiny in my life. There are times where I could actually see the results of what God was leading me to do. Those are exciting times to say the least. When you feel the leading of God and actually have a vision of what you think God wants you to do there is a confidence that wells up from deep down inside. 

In every one of those situations where I felt so completely lead by God I have failed to end up where I so clearly thought I saw God wanted me to go. The disappointments I have felt over those failures has driven victim thinking deep down into my soul. In fact, I now have to fight a lingering doubt in my life that says, "Maybe I cant' trust the things I think I'm hearing from God in my life." 

I coming to believe that it isn't that I can't trust God or what God might be saying in my life. I'm learning that I need to hold loosely how I interpret what God is saying and adjust my actions accordingly. What I'm really learning is that the path to destiny isn't a straight line, it is a lane. Lanes aren't straight, they are winding. Twists and turns will be a part of our path. Though we may end up exactly where we thought we would at the very beginning of our journey, the path will be anything but straight. That's a fact that I think God has ordained in life so that we won't loose sight of our dependence on Him and His love for us. 

I was talking with a friend of mine the other day. He was expressing how he is searching for his purpose in life. I could hear the familiar strings of victim thinking coming through my friend's words. It isn't that it is wrong to ponder one's purpose. It is that victim thinking can latch on in insidious ways when we become preoccupied with finding that purpose. I could hear in my friend's voice that he was beginning to link purpose to his identity. In other words, my friend was starting to believe that his identity wouldn't be all it could be unless he identified his purpose and took steps to make that purpose a reality. 

Sorry to be so blunt, but that is what I'm starting to call, "straight line thinking." Here's what I have found with straight lines in life. The only straight line in the human experience comes about when we tie anything we can conjure up to identity. It is when we associate who we are with anything we are able to set out to do that we are lead down the straight line to victim thinking. Purpose and destiny isn't a straight line between here and there, but victim thinking is when we tie purpose or destiny to who we think we are. 

Today's Bible reading is such a simple yet powerful reminder of what God is doing as we go down the twists and turns of the life He has made for us. It says,

The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands. Psalm 138:8 (NKJV)

This is the last line of Psalm 138. The Psalmist is going through some hard times. He said earlier in the Psalm "Though I walk in the midst of trouble..." Maybe David was remembering some hard times he had faced when he penned these words. Maybe he was in the middle of a set of hard times as these thoughts came to mind. Either way, David is a prime example of his path to destiny being anything but a straight line. The path God had David on took him into some deep and dark places. Those places nearly wrecked David to the point of surrender. Yet just at the right moment God would show up and another turn in the path would be experienced. 

There's a beauty and elegance in the first line of today's reading. It says, "The Lord will perfect that which concern me..." He has given you a destiny. Your purpose is secured! 

I take this promise from today's reading as a promise that that destiny will happen. It will be perfected even though it looks as though the path I am on right at this moment is taking me exactly in the opposite direction of where I need to be in order to see that destiny come to fruition in my life. Lanes do that from time to time. They will turn in the exact wrong direction to get you around an obstacle so that you are better positioned to get to where you need to go. 

God is the business of being the perfecter of all that concerns each and everyone of us. He is in the perfect position to see that the path we are on now is leading us to exactly where we need to be even though that path is anything but a straight line. The process of perfection doesn't always require speed and efficiency. If it did, then a straight line from here to there would be exactly the lane God would place us on. 

The key is to let God be God on this journey. As we meander on this path God has made for us there are two things we have to hold on to. First is to remember who we are. We are God's Child and that makes us a victor more than arriving at our destiny will ever be able to confirm. Secondly, God is in control. He knows what He is doing. Even when our path seems to be heading in the wrong direction we have no choice but to trust that He is doing exactly what He needs to be doing to get us to where He wants us to be. 

What would you describe as being your destiny for today? Know this, though your path may straighten out from time to time, there will be a randomness to the twists and turns on your path that might get you to think God has dropped the ball when it comes to your destiny. When those thoughts come up, stop and ask God what's going on? If adjustments are required He will show you. If not, take another step into the fullness of the destiny God has made for you, His beloved Child. 

Day 142 - Here and Now

Click here to link directly to the audio file.

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Sometimes when I listen to music of any kind I get drawn to a word or a phrase that really gets me to thinking. This is especially the case with worship music.

One Sunday our worship leaders played the song, "At The Cross" by Chris Tomlin. One of the chorus' repeats a word over and over again. That word is "here." On that particular day the word "here" really was speaking to me. The more I thought about what that word meant the more my victor status came into focus as I let the "here" in my life overwhelm the victim thinking ways that come with thinking of anything other than "here."

Right here and right now, this is our destiny. What happened in the past, even a few seconds ago is gone. What will happen in the future can't be guaranteed. All we have with respect to making destiny happen is in the right here and right now. That's what was hitting me so hard when I heard that chorus from Chris' song.

I remember my mother saying that I shouldn't wish my life away. She was responding to my many bouts of looking forward to a certain circumstance happening on a future date. When I would say; "I can't wait for next week to come." she would remind me to live in the here and now saying, "Don't wish your life away."

I have to be honest, those words seemed pretty ridiculous to me at that time. As I now realize how fast time is slipping by I cherish those words of wisdom and work to live in the moment more these days. Here is all we really have so why not enjoy our here as much as we can. Destiny is experienced in the here and now, not in the past nor in the future.

Reality is that our here and now destiny might literally stink! When circumstances at this moment are not what you would ever want in your life, destiny can seem to be such a cruel and hurtful prospect. Enjoying the here and now when bad times hit can be quickly replaced by wishing for something different in the future. It is when we face a stinking destiny that time can be such an enemy for the person trying to live out a victor's life.

When it comes to a stinking destiny, we are in good company. Jesus faced a stinking destiny when it came to the cross. His here and now included torture, suffering, rejection and ultimately death. Don't you know Jesus was tempted to want something more as He suffered on the cross for you and for me?

Yet in the middle of His crucifixion, Jesus allowed the here and now to linger in ways that made a difference in the lives of those all around Him suffering in their own ways. Check out one of today's Bible verses for how Jesus used his here and now to change our world.

Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." Luke 23:34 (NIV)

In the middle of His suffering, Jesus let us know what He was doing on the cross. He was ushering in forgiveness for all who were alive at that time and all who live in our here and now. Jesus could have been so preoccupied with getting out of the suffering He faced that those words might have never been uttered. We have a record of Jesus' purpose for life and for His death because He let His stinking destiny be all it could rather than hoping for something different and better.

Sometimes the bad situations that come against us are but a prelude of something greater that is happening around us that is just too far above our pay-grade to really understand. When bad times hit it is a good idea to pay attention to what is going on around us so that we don't miss the miracles that are happening all around.

Jesus' next words were to a man hanging on a cross right next to Him. This man defended Jesus from the attacks of another suffering to death for his crimes and from the attacks from those watching this brutality take place. The man asked Jesus to remember Him when this life passed and Christ said the following;

Jesus answered him, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise."Luke 23:43 (NIV)

As Jesus suffered, He let His stinking destiny be a time that gave great hope to a fellow sufferer. Don't you know that man who heard those words had a new found hope that made his stinking destiny something he could tolerate too?

Sometimes we go through horrible times in order to be a comfort to someone who might be suffering just as badly as we are but doesn't have the benefit of perspective like we have in our lives. Don't you know Jesus' portrayal on what was coming next was a welcome prospect for that man hanging on the cross next to Jesus? By staying focused on our here and now, even in the bad times, we might be in a better position to see how God is using us to make the challenging times someone else is facing something they can rise above.

Then Jesus sees His mother standing there watching this travesty take place. Our last Bible verse of the day highlights how Jesus staying focused on the here and now made a difference in the lives of those He loved.

When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, "Woman, here is your son," and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. John 19:26-27 (NIV)

One of Jesus' last words is directed at two of His closest people, Mary and the apostle John. Jesus knew how much it must have hurt His mom to see Him suffer so. Jesus allowed Himself to remain in His stinking destiny long enough to make sure His mother was cared for by someone Jesus trusted. John, who understood the power of God's love for us all, was blessed to be adopted into a royal family buy becoming a son to Mary.

Sometimes it is in the bad times that our hearts break for those closest to us in ways that just doesn't happen when times are going well in our lives. Jesus let his here and now be something that made a difference for those closest to Him in a way that could have easily have been missed if Jesus didn't let his stinking destiny do an amazing work around Him.

I don't know what your destiny looks like right at this moment. I highly doubt that it is as dire as the stinking destiny Jesus faced hanging on the cross. No matter how good or how bad your destiny is right now, remember this, the next moment is just around the corner. We don't know what the next moment holds. For Jesus, his next moment was paradise. Our next moment might be just as glorious - we have no way of knowing!

We as victors need to be living in the reality that as for this moment, this is our destiny! That fact has the power to change the world. Hang on in the bad times. There is power in the fact God is with us. That the circumstance isn't changing isn't a reflection on our walk with Him nor is it a sentence of condemnation. It just might be you were made for this moment. Hang on because the next one is just around the corner.

Day 141 - Opportunities and Obligations

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 'have to' thinking permeates all parts of our lives, freedom becomes something that we can only dream of."

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 177.

One of the hallmarks of those of us being set up for victim thinking is that we indiscriminately use the words "have to" to describe normal, everyday events in our lives. I have to go pick up my kids. I have to go to Church. I have to spend the evening with my wife. As I have said before, "have to" speaks of obligation. Obligation makes our souls believe that our freedom is under attack in ways that puts our will, intellect and emotions on high alert. 

Do we really mean that your kids, your church and/or your spouse are obligations? Sure there are tasks that we have committed to do when it comes to these important parts of our lives, but is obligation really the best word to describe what we are doing for and with them?

Think about it. Do you really want your spouse to be obligated to spend time with you? Doesn't that sound like the furthest thing from freedom and love to you? It's like you are forcing them to do something horrible as though spending time with you is a chore like no other in their lives. Is that what we mean when we say, "I have to spend the evening with my wife?" I sure hope my wife never gets the idea that spending time with her is something I see as a chore that I have to suck up and just do. If it is, I have bigger problems than just victim thinking in my life that needs to be addressed. 

"Have to" are't magic words of some kind. They aren't casting a spell over our lives that guarantees bad things will come our way. No, these two simple little words communicate a picture to our souls that might not be as accurate a snapshot as to what is going on at any given moment. It is when our souls gear up for a fight that we can cause others to be victimized by our actions in ways we never intended. 

I'm trying to pay attention to my words particularly when I'm attempting to communicate my need to take on a task in my life. I would much rather use the words "Get to" to describe those things I am involved in. "Get to" speaks of opportunity where "Have to" speaks of obligation. I have said it before but, the soul loves opportunity and hates obligation. 

You see opportunity speaks of freedom where obligation speaks to bondage. If I am obligated I am bound to that thing in ways that my soul really doesn't like to let be a part of my existence. Opportunity, on the other hand, conveys a positive spin on a situation that our soul loves to get behind and make the best happen for our lives. 

The Bible can be read in such a "have to" kind of way. There are a lot of do's and don't when it comes to what the Bible teaches in some places. Following the logic I've presented here, "have to's" in the Bible sets up our soul to fight what God is saying in ways He never intended for us to experience. It is as though when we read the Bible with a "have to" approach we are making our souls an enemy of God Himself. That's not a very life giving place for our souls to take us. 

I once came across today's Bible reading and took on a "have to" kind of approach. Before I describe the results of my actions, let's read what God's word says. 

Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to him. You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Yes, this will be the blessing for the man who fears the Lord. Psalm 128:1-4 (NIV)

Who doesn't want to be prosperous? Who doesn't want the relationships with their spouse and children to be all they can possibly be? Who of us doesn't want as much blessing as they can possibly have? As I read today's Bible verses, I can't help but to believe that if I obey God then these things will come my way. 

When I first came across this verse I decided that I wanted all these blessings and more that are promised in the Bible when I obey God. So, I decided to start reading the Bible to come up with a list of what God wants me to be obedient to. Anywhere I saw words that seemed to be speaking towards direction, I wrote them down. I wanted to develop a definitive list of do's and don'ts that I could use to help secure as much blessing as I could obtain. 

After a couple weeks of this exercise I get totally disappointed. I learned that the commands from God are overwhelming. After having only gotten through a small portion of the Bible I had a couple pages written front and back with what I needed to do to be obedient to God. I quickly saw how hopeless it was to try and use my abilities and efforts to obey God. 

I have to be honest, I was pretty disappointed and dismayed. If I can't obey God, how could I ever receive blessing from Him as I saw verses like today's reading explaining? Victim thinking quickly took over since it appeared that I was being set up to be a victim at every turn by God. Fortunately, I saw where I had made some wrong assumptions.

First of all, God wants us to be overwhelmed with "have to" tasks when it comes to relating to Him. Did you get that - He wants us to fail at obeying Him if we are obeying out of obligation and not love. Why would He want us to fail? Because, "have to" tasks make us feel like we are losing our freedom and Jesus came to set us free, not bind us up! 

Sure there are things God is going to send our way that will call for our obedience. In doing so, He is hoping that we will see those tasks as the opportunities that "get to" tasks bring to our soul. Even in the hard things of life that seem to have passed through the hands of God "get to" is such an important concept for the victor to apply. It is when we come to realize that the blessing that comes with obedience is actually the time spent in the presence of God. That's when victor living takes on an unmistakable power in our lives. . 

"Have to" makes us view God in a regimented and callus way. "Get to" makes it easier to view God in a personal and relational way. We need our souls to realize that God is for us not against us so that we can get our wills, our intellect and our emotions to line up and be empowered to do the things God has for us to do in this world. 

Day 140 - Being Loved

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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"Deep down inside of us all, there is a hunger to be known. We work so hard to satisfy this hunger by doing things that make us look good to the outside world and make us feel good inside. Oh, how temporary this is! This kind of satisfaction is such a jealous mistress in our lives. It is never satisfied!"

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 72.

Most of the challenges I have had in my marriage and with other important relationships happen when I feel I'm not being understood. At the root of that feeling is the deep and unmistakable desire to be known. It is when we are known that we can really be appreciated and valued for the amazingly unique creations that we really are. 

I believe this is the purpose for our time here on earth. We are to come to a place where we know that we are known by this God that made us. Unfortunately this world is really good at making us think that if anyone really knew who we were than we would be outcast even more profoundly than we feel we are right now. This is just as true, and even more so, as we think about ever being known by this God that made us. 

Have you ever taken a close look at Da Vinci's masterpiece "The Last Supper"? There so many details in that painting that lead me to believe there was true inspiration behind this amazing work of art. One of the interesting elements of the painting is the position and posture of each of the twelve disciples. There Jesus sits in the middle of this motley crew and as you study what each one is doing you get an glimpse into their personality and understanding as to what was going on.

To Jesus' right is a very feminine looking person. This is the apostle John. I've often wondered why Da Vinci would make John look so demure? In fact, recent rumors regarding this depiction of John and Jesus in this masterpiece have been floated indicating that Jesus must have been gay and that John was his lover. Isn't it interesting how rumors can be used to try and get us way off track particularly when those rumors have no substantiation at all.

No, I think Da Vinci saw something different about John and his relationship with Jesus that highlights a victor characteristic we need to be made aware of. I think Da Vinci was focused on a statement John used about himself when he referred to Jesus. Check out one such statement hidden in today's Bible reading.

One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. John 13:23 (NIV)

Look how John describes himself. "The disciple whom Jesus loved." Now, there's a bold statement if I have ever seen one.

I have always thought that this statement was kind of pompous. Did John really think that Jesus didn't love any of the other disciples? Then it was explained to me this way. It wasn't that John thought that Jesus loved only him. No, it is that John realized that He, like all of us, are loved by Jesus. Where Peter was always busy trying to prove that he loved Jesus, John was secure in the fact that Jesus loved him.

The difference between the way John viewed love and the way Peter viewed that same concept is so important for the victor to grasp. You see, John knew that he was known, warts and all, and was loved by Jesus. Peter saw his shortcomings and felt the overpowering need to fight his shortcomings in order to prove his love for God. John's approach to love is how a victor can live in a world filled with victimizing circumstances while Peter's way will ultimately lead to victim thinking in that same world.

When will we ever get it into our heads that we are known, loved and wanted by this God that made us. God isn't waiting for us to get our act together so that He can love us. He loves us just the way we are. That is such a power filled and freedom laced statement. John realized that He was loved and this made him a powerhouse for God in the Kingdom building process. It is when we realize that we are known, loved and wanted that we can sit at the right hand of Jesus with a look of peace and ease in the midst of the tempest that surrounds us all.

I don't know what Da Vinci was thinking when he painted John in the way that he did, but I do know this. I want that peace that I believe John represents in this painting. I want the peace of knowing that I am known. If I am known and there is still love there for me. There, I am in a safe place where my identity can be all it needs to be to have impact in this world.

That's what the victor needs. The victor needs to know that they are known. Amazing thing is is that you are! Jesus made it possible to live a John kind of life that says, "I am the one Jesus loves." That's what gives us all the ability to live this life as a victor even when our lives aren't as perfect as we know they need to be in order to commune with this God that made us.

Look, I have tried to live a Peter kind of life. This life is filled with plenty of good intentions and a lot of powerful moves forward in who I am. Problem is that I simply can't maintain a Peter kind of existence in this world that works so well at knocking me down. It is when I have to face defeat after defeat in my efforts to live up to some standard that I think is needed to approach this God that my identity becomes something I just can't understand. That's when I start searching in ways to find out who I am that simply cause me more damage in the long run.

Victim thinking is the result when I live a Peter kind of life. Victor living is the result when John is the model of love that I choose to apply in my life. Which do you want to have in your life today? Are you going to be a Peter or a John?

Your soul longs to be known. It also has it all wrong in thinking that you have to do something in order to be fully known and appreciated by this God that made you. Peter was such a good example of what the soul looks like and does in this world. Isn't it time that you do things differently? Rather than let your soul be in charge when it comes to being known, maybe it is time to let your spirit be in control. John is a great example of the spirit being in control.

The spirit knows that it is loved, valued and wanted. Let that fact be what drives you to do all God has planed for you to do today. As you step into the confidence of being known, valued and loved, I know that you have a better chance to live this day as the victor God has made you to be. You are the one God loves. Let that be all the proof you need to keep victim thinking at bay in your life today.

Day 139 - Condemning Words

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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"Condemnation is an identity crusher."

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 59.

There is nothing like a healthy dose of condemnation to make us question who we are. I'll bet you can think back to your childhood and remember words that were spoken over your life that still have a power over you in ways that are unmistakable. If you are like the vast majority of the people on this planet, you too will have had way too many negative and condemning words spoken into your life that continue to influence you today.

Why does condemnation have such a power over our identity like I believe it does? Could it be that we just weren't designed to be condemned in any way? I believe that is exactly the case.

We are made to live forever in a life-giving, positive place with our creator as our daily companion. Because we choose something less than that idealistic way of living, we have been placed in a world that wants us to literally kill ourselves trying to prove something we already are.

It is when we fail to gather that proof of who we are that the words of those who were just as lost as we are come back to haunt us. The condemning words of those we looked up to in the past, who were stuck in victim thinking as we can be at times, is what helps to fuel belief in the lie that we will never be the victor we feel like we should be deep down inside of our souls.

That's why God has taken such elaborate steps to eliminate condemnation from our lives as far as He is concerned. The absolute beauty and power of a savior is something I don't think we let ourselves ponder for very long.

You see, condemnation can only come from God when we choose how we want our lives to be judged. If we choose to be judged by what we do as proof of who we are, we can't help but to hear the condemning words from God Himself. We will never be able to do enough to measure up to the ideals of perfection required to commune with our creator. Choosing to be judged based on our actions is a strategy that assures defeat.

Jesus isn't a the founder of a religion. He is the eliminator of condemnation. The fact that he took on the punishment of all our imperfections makes us perfect. He stood in our place so that we could have communion with our creator no matter how good our bad our lives look at any given moment. No other religion can do what Christianity does. A follower of Christ can't be condemned because there are no expectations when it comes to performance as far as God is concerned.

Check out this simple Bible verse regarding condemnation.

The Lord will rescue his servants; no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned. Psalm 34:22 (NIV)

None of those who come to God will be condemned. It doesn't say as soon as you get your life in order condemnation will be gone. It doesn't even say that if you are good at what you do for God you won't be condemned. No, condemnation is gone when we simply come to Him. That's the beautiful message of Jesus Christ. Where all other religions require performance to be the benchmark of acceptance, Christianity stands out by making acceptance automatic by what God has done rather than what we might do.

If performance doesn't enter the picture when acceptance is concerned, then how can there be condemnation? Condemnation comes when we are chastised for not being good enough at what one person thinks we should be good at. Condemnation comes when a parent is disappointed at how we have turned out. Condemnation comes when an employer finds fault with our abilities and actions at work. Condemnation comes when a spouse rejects us because our love for them didn't rise to a level of acceptance to meet their needs. With Christ, condemnation is gone because performance isn't even part of the equation as far as acceptance, worth and love are concerned.

That's why our identity is crushed when condemnation is allowed to remain in our lives. It is God who made us. It is God who has given us an identity. The fact that we are God's children is what makes our victor status something we can live out whether we are performing up to a some standard of excellence in our lives or not.

If you are doubting who you are because of the condemning words someone has spoken over you life in your past maybe the issues is that you really don't believe who God says you are. Next time you are reacting to the hurtful words of your past say to yourself, "Does it really matter that I will never be able to __________ (fill in the blank)? I am a Child of God's"

Let the power of who you are overwhelm the lies spoken over your life. God is the only truth we will ever need to have in our lives. Why not believe who He says we are and then live the life of the victor He has made possible for us to live in this world today.