Day 218 - Stumbling In Life

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

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"It’s no wonder we are hardwired by God to rebel against obligations. In the really bad times that come against us from time to time, those “have to” tasks in our life can be something that make us doubt our identity as God’s Children."

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 176.

I came across a devotional this morning that made me stop and think. It talked about God either being our building block or our stumbling block. How we view God during times that are a challenge in our lives really makes the difference when it comes to victor living verses victim thinking. Before we dive into what I mean by that, let's take a look at today's Bible reading on the subject. 

As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house[a] to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says:

"See, I lay a stone in Zion,

    a chosen and precious cornerstone,

and the one who trusts in him

    will never be put to shame."

Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,

"The stone the builders rejected

    has become the cornerstone,”

and,

"A stone that causes people to stumble

    and a rock that makes them fall."

They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for. 1 Peter 2:4-8 (NIV)

There's a lot going on in today's reading. A lot to unpack in the life of a victor. First of all, the stone Peter is talking about is, of course, Jesus Christ. He was rejected every step of the way. At the very end, no one was left to stand up for Him, including God Himself. That's a significant burden for anyone to carry. 

Yet Jesus never lived in that place of "have to" that is so damaging to the human soul. He didn't go into His destiny with the attitude of obligation or feeling like He was trapped. Believe me, Jesus knew what a burden, this plan of the Father's was. It wasn't some simple task God was asking His son to complete. Rejection, accusation, ridicule, confinement, torture and ultimately death, all pale by comparison to the fact that, for a moment, God rejected Jesus due to the fact He carried all our sins for us. The judgement for you and for me was poured out on Christ as He hung on that cross. Now, that's a burden. That's a potential stumbling block to relationship with God if I were to put myself in Jesus' position. 

Jesus saw the love of God's plan and came to a place where all He went through became a "get to" opportunity. Had he viewed those trails He was to face as a "have to" obligation, God's loving plan for salvation would have been seen as a hated curse for Jesus' life. "Get to" turned a stumbling block into a building block on which our lives, even today, are being built upon.  

I have to believe the same goes for you and for me. Maybe the challenges in our lives aren't meant to be stumbling blocks. Maybe, they too, are to be building blocks for us and/or for those around us. It is when I view the challenges that come my way as "have to" obligations that I think I start to get tripped up in ways that let victim thinking take over in my life. 

Look, I'm sure Jesus wasn't overjoyed by the prospect of living out the cross in His life. That fact was confirmed by what the author of the devotion I read today stated. He said that the joy of the cross didn't come while Jesus hung there suffering, it came as Jesus was majestically restored to that place of honor next to the right hand of God. The author of this devotion says; "The joy is not the cross itself, but its aftermath, for God always deals with ends - final realities, not routes to them." 

Oh how life would be different if we could view our "have to" obligations as "get to" opportunities. When we are stuck in living a "have to" life we are focused on our route, not our end. There is no joy in "have to" tasks. The joy of walking with God through the task is removed and the joy of coming to the end is deadened by viewing the burdens of this life as stumbling blocks rather than building blocks in our relationship with God. The victor is one who recognized when they are living a "have to" kind of life and cries out to God for help with the power needed to proceed in a "get to" kind of way. 

What's got you stumbling today? Could it be that that stone that you are bumping into is meant to be a cornerstone to something eternal - something bigger than the bad times that threaten your comfortable life today? Let the power of God's amazing ability to build from the rubble be what carries you through today's challenges with all the grace you need to live out the victor's life He has destined for you today. 

Day 217 - Cycle of Despair

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 a person gets stuck in the mourning process they are often stuck trying to find an answer as to why the bad thing has happened to them. Sadness takes over. Despair often rules the life of a person determined to deal with the “Why?” that now haunts them so completely."

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 141.

There is an interesting progression in our quote from today. Being stuck can lead to sadness. Staying in a place of sadness can often lead us to despair. This progression is like a merry-go-round. With every lap we go round, being stuck, sadness and despair seems to grow and grow.

There is nothing like the feeling of being trapped to make us say and do things that can be damaging to ourselves and to the ones we love. When we are trapped in the feeling that we might never understand why badness keeps happening to us, the circle of despair starts in a big way in our lives.

It is only natural to want to know why bad times are happening. Sometimes the answer to that question might even help us to change in ways as to keep those same bad things from happening again. Unfortunately, there are times when "Why?" just can't be answered. The things of this world always can't be figured out and that makes it possible for us to step into places where our being stuck makes victim thinking a real possibility.

It is when we are stuck on the question "Why?" that a profound sadness can come over us. Have you ever been in that place? I sure have. It isn't a place I soon want to revisit. Reality is, I will - so will you. That sadness is something that is almost too much to bear. That's why I think the feeling of despair is so close behind the feeling of profound sadness. Despair happens when hope is all but gone. That deep sadness that comes when we are stuck, sucks the hope out of our lives in victimizing ways.

Today's Bible reading is a favorite for many who follow Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself quoted this passage from the Old Testament when He walked this Earth. He indicated, in His teachings, that He is the fulfillment of what Isaiah had said so many years earlier. This verse is critical for those of us who might find ourselves stuck from time to time. Let's read it now.

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom for the captives
    and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
    and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
    instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
    instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
    instead of a spirit of despair. Isaiah 61:1-3 (NIV)

I love how this passage starts. "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me..." When you feel stuck, this is the place to begin. We need to be reminded that this statement wasn't just for Jesus alone. This verse is for you and for me. Even when we are stuck in that place of searching for the answers as to why the bad things happen to us, we are still anointed and filled with God's Holy Spirit. This fact should give us a confidence that no answer to our "Why?" questions will ever be able to provide.

I've been in places where I have had to say this line over and over again. I needed to remind myself that I am chosen, I am commissioned and I am equipped to deal with all life tosses at me. This isn't a hope in my life, it is a statement of fact. The death of Jesus guaranteed that Isaiah 61 would be just as true for Jesus as it is for you and for me.

Never forget the fact that God's Spirit is on you. It is on you for a reason. Look at the purpose of God's Spirit being on you. You are anointed to bind the brokenhearted. You are purposed with freeing the captives. You are empowered to release the darkness that emprisions so many of us. You are authorized to proclaim God's coming with power. You are prepared to bring compassion to those who mourn. You are resourced with all you need to provide beauty, joy and praise to ALL those who grieve. Wow - that's a job description I just don't know how I could ever live up to, particularly when I'm the one that is brokenhearted, a captive, emprisioned, mourning, grieving and in serous need of God's power to be revealed in my life.

Maybe that's God's purpose in the first place. Maybe it is when we are in serious need of someone to be an Isaiah 61 kind of person in our lives that God's power is revealed as we become that kind of person in someone else's life. I have found that nothing gets me out of being stuck better than when I am part of the process at helping someone else get unstuck.

Notice the last line of today's reading. It says, "...a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair." Despair is something that has its roots in the spiritual world. There is a darkness to despair that, I believe comes from the pit of hell. God is warring against this, and many, many other spirits in the Kingdom Building plans He has entrusted us with. Choosing to stay stuck on "Why?" sets us up where we are taken out of the battle. Despair does that to us. It sidelines us in ways that only those who have been in despair know all too well.

What I'm hoping is that we will begin to recognize those times when we are stuck so that we can break the cycle of despair sooner rather than later. God wants us in the battle. He wants us clothed and prepared for the fight. He has done all the heavy lifting to get us ready. He paid the ultimate price with His son so that we could be anointed with His Spirit so as to make us like His very own Child.

I love how it is the garment of praise that replaces the spirit of despair. It isn't some warrior angel that slays that spirit of despair in my life. It is a simple wardrobe change that makes despair have to be gone. Staying stuck on the "Why?"when bad times hit is like allowing darkness to dress me. Step into the light. Throw off that spirit of despair as you take hold of the garment of praise and go into battle for others in your life.

The victor in you just can't stand to be sidelined when it comes to being a part of building God's Kingdom. Step off the merry-go-round of this life and let God's Spirit lead you to where His power makes praise destroy all the despair that threatens to make you powerless in victim thinking. Remember who you are and live in the power of that identity God paid such a high price for you to make change in your world today.

Day 216 - Tools

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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"Victim thinking can be a very practical tool when one is constantly being victimized. But when times change and the abuse is gone, if we stay stuck in victim thinking the results of that thinking will spread to take over more and more of our lives to a point where it is totally destructive to ourselves and to those around us."

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 126.

Have you ever noticed how some of the most unhealthy things can actually be a valuable tool at times in our lives. I recently heard that medical scientists were using the HIV virus to deliver life changing cures to the very DNA of patients afflicted with a certain ailment. It was found that this horrible virus was actually extremely adept at attacking the exact part of the DNA needed to make a cure for this particular condition possible. By using the HIV virus, the patient is cured of one disease but is infected with another. The patient will now have to be treated for HIV for the remainder of their lives. Interesting thing is that this tradeoff is a no brainer. The impact of the original disease was so much more devastating than that of a manageable affliction like HIV.

What was once called God's plight on the homosexual community (HIV/AIDS) is now being used to save lives. God is so powerful and does things far outside our realm of understanding at times. Even the most horrific of evil can be a tool for good when in the hands of a loving God.

So it is with victim thinking. There are times in our lives when victim thinking can actually be a tool against some of the horrors life can toss at us. The self-focused aspect of victim thinking might make it possible for the most abused among us to be able to survive for one moment longer. The demanding ways of the victim thinker might bring to light some truths that need to be faced by those around them. Victim thinking, like HIV, isn't something to be arbitrarily messed with, but I have found that it can be a tool to bring about good in ways we might overlook if we aren't careful.

It is when times take a turn for the better that victim thinking can really be more of a hindrance than it can be a tool for change. As the circumstances that brought about the horrors that made victim thinking a useful tool change, the victim thinking tendencies that served the victim so well in the bad times might not be serving them as completely in the good. It is when we get stuck in victim thinking that the very tools of this process that carried us through bad times might make our good times something less than what they could be in our lives.

Victim thinking is really like any disease. When the HIV virus worms its way into our DNA, it changes our bodily systems. So it is with victim thinking. Staying in places that victim thinking can take us makes it possible for the very traits that once saved us turn the tables in ways that can work to destroy us. What was once a tool for good becomes a weapon for destruction when victim thinking is allowed to stay in the life of a victim who is facing different times in their lives.

That's why identity is so important of a concept for those of us trying to keep victim thinking at bay. Our identity is susceptible to outside forces worming their way into the very building blocks of who we are. Once in, those forces work to change how our identity might be used to carry us toward being a productive part of the world around us. Recognizing the symptoms of victim thinking is so important if we are to fight off the identity crushing effects that threaten the very fabric of our society today.

What are some of the symptoms of victim thinking? Here's a short list. Easily offended, bitterness, a demanding spirit, critical self talk, hopeless feelings about the future, feelings of worthiness, lacking in purpose, feeling constant rejection, preoccupation with coping mechanisms, and self-centered approach to life. These are but a few of the signs victim thinking might be a part of your life.

I don't know about you, but each and everyone of those symptoms ring somewhat true in my life, even today. That's the point! Everyone of us has been infected with victim thinking tendencies - and for good reason. This world can be a challenging place in which to live. That fact requires us to take steps for self preservation in ways that allow victim thinking to be a beneficial part of our lives at times.

You aren't stuck in victim thinking if any or all of the tendencies listed above are present in your life. You are, however, playing with victim thinking if you allow these tendencies to be what controls how you view your life. It is OK for me to recognize that I feel worthless. It is when I let the feeling of worthiness disqualify or disable me from being a part of what God has for my life that I allow victim thinking to take control in my in potentially destructive ways. See the difference there? 

Today's Bible reading is a prophecy regarding end times. It speaks of what some believe to be the rapture. I think this verse speaks directly to what we are talking about here with regards to letting victim thinking rule in our lives. The Bible says...

But let me tell you something wonderful, a mystery I’ll probably never fully understand. We’re not all going to die—but we are all going to be changed. You hear a blast to end all blasts from a trumpet, and in the time that you look up and blink your eyes—it’s over. On signal from that trumpet from heaven, the dead will be up and out of their graves, beyond the reach of death, never to die again. At the same moment and in the same way, we’ll all be changed. 1 Corinthians 15:51-54 (MSG)

Those last four words are such a powerful promise. It says, "we'll all be changed." When the clock on God's scoreboard finally reaches zero, each and everyone of us will be changed. The change we will make will be beyond anything we can really comprehend here on earth. That's the mystery Paul says he will never fully understand. That change will make any ability for us to even consider victim thinking something that will be gone. Revelations says that we will have no more pain when that time comes. That all tears will be gone when we are called home by that trumpet blast. Without the pain that causes tears, victimizing events that make victim thinking a possibility will be gone forever more.

Until that time, we have to be ever on the lookout for the symptoms of victim thinking. None of us are immune to the ravages this illness from the pit of hell can be brought into the victor's life. All we can do is recognize when we are moving in the direction of victim thinking and call out to God for help in changing direction as quickly as possible.

If you find that your day takes you to places where you are easily offended, bitter, posses a demanding spirit, partake in critical self talk, have hopeless feelings about the future, entertain feelings of worthiness, find you are lacking in purpose, believe you are feeling constant rejection, give in to a preoccupation with coping mechanisms or are applying a self-centered approach to life, maybe your victor status needs some bolstering. Take time to spend time with God. Let Him speak into you the hope that comes with who you are. As God's Child you have hope. Let the power of your God given identity be what it takes to slam the door on victim thinking in your life today.

Day 215 - The Coping Soul

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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"God never intended for us to cope, He intended for us to prosper! That prosperity is a flourishing of peace in the soul that simply won’t happen by creating coping mechanisms to defend our soul’s interpretation of who we are."

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 111.

A friend of mine use to cringe when she asked someone, "How are you doing?" and then received the answer "Fine." This woman was kind of unusual when it comes to being relational. She actually wanted the real answer when she asked about someone how they were doing. Don't you know that when you ask someone, how they are doing, it is a rarity that you really want to know? Way too many times in my life the answer, "Fine" was good enough for me.

This friend told our church one day that the word "Fine" bothered her so much she came up with an acronym as to what "Fine" means to her in relationship. She said "Fine" now means "Feeling Insecure, Needing Engagement." Now that's a victor's way of looking at another person. I know for a fact that this woman would spend time getting out of you how you are really doing if you dared answer her inquiry with the common place response of "Fine."

I don't think this woman was being a busy-body in her approach with others. I don't think she was being disrespectful either in her description of what the word "Fine" meant to her in relationship. No, I believe she is acting in a way that, I now see as, reflecting the heart of God. She, like the God she serves, craves relationship in a healthy way. My friend was being just like her dad in Heaven and making relationship something that she valued in her life. She was on a mission to help other children of God value a deep connection with others and with their father too.

I have to be honest with you. This woman isn't what I would call an extrovert. By all accounts, she is a pretty private person. It isn't that this woman is acting out of a deep seated and potentially codependent need to be in the lives of people. I believe her relational mission comes from the fact that God took time with her to get to know who she is. She has come into contact with her identity as God sees it. That has made a lasting impact on this dear friend.

That's what I'm hoping these presentations do for you as well. I'm hoping that you get infected by the relationship bug. It is in the connections we make as we go through life where the power of God can be seen the greatest. If we are children of a relational King then relationships should play a significant role in our lives.

When I talk about relationship, I know many of you want to crawl in a corner. I'm one of those people. In large groups I just want to be on the periphery. At any large function you will typically find me on one side of the room or another talking to one or two people at a time. I'm really an introvert but, I too have been touched by the call for relationship.

What I have found is that connecting with folks has really helped me in my walk with God. I learn a lot when I'm willing to listen and be heard. As I am drawn to open up about my life, I have found that I'm not alone in the challenges that I face. It has been through conversation that many of the most profound ah-ha moments of life have come about. Through relationship I have been able to trade my ability to try and cope with life for a way where I'm prospering like never before.

Our souls need connection. They weren't meant to go through life, carrying the heavy burdens this world places on us. Ultimately, God is meant to be in the yoke of life with us. Often times He is when we come alongside others walking similar paths of life. I believe that it is as we live out a "Love God and Love Others" kind of life we are quick to trade coping for the prosperity of peace in our soul.

I heard a presentation by a very talented Pastor named Ken Baugh this past weekend. Ken is an amazing speaker and has a depth to him that is something to behold. He made a comment about relationship that really caught my attention. Ken said that there is only one thing God pointed out that was not good in the Garden of Eden. Can you guess what it was?

No, it wasn't the serpent. It wasn't even the hundreds of things that might be annoying to you and me today. The only thing that God said was not good in the Garden was that man was alone (see Genesis 2:2 and check it out for yourself). Ken then went on to ask, "Was man really alone?" Didn't Adam walk with God every day - that's what scripture says. So, was man really alone?

The point Ken was making was that on this side of heaven, relationship is part of what makes life something God sees as being good. In fact, Ken goes on to say that without relationship, any meaningful change we strive to have in our lives just isn't possible. When it comes to meaningful change, God might not be enough - we need each other as well! I'm starting to believe Ken is exactly right.

Here's what God says about the power of relationship.

A friend loves at all times,
And a brother is born for adversity. Proverbs 17:17 (NASB)

I see two kinds of relationships in this passage. There is the friend that loves at all times. This kind of relationship represents the connections God places in our lives. Friends in your life might include that person you had a very simple conversation with on the patio at church last weekend. It might even be the check out person at the grocery store you see every week and say "Hi" to. Friend, to me in this context, can be a total stranger that I might come upon in my daily activities. Though I might not be destined to a long term relationship in their lives, I believe that God makes these connections happen so that seeds of love can be planted everywhere we turn.

The second kind of relationship I see in this passage is that of brother. This person was born for adversity. This, to me, isn't a premonition as to bad times coming that brother's way. It is more about the kind of relationship these two have. The brother is someone you can call anytime day or night. He or she is a safe person - that means you can tell them anything without judgement or condemnation. These kinds of relationships are few and far between - and they should be. I can count on one hand the number of people that fall into the brother category. This isn't a knock on my relational ability. It is a reality due to the work it takes to allow a person to become a brother in your life.

God created us so that we could be in relationship with Him. He didn't place us here to just cope as we go through the motions in life. He placed us here to thrive. It is when we are as serious about relationship as God is that that thriving comes alive for those of use looking to live out this victor's life.

So, how are you doing today? If you are tempted to answer, "Fine" remember my friend. Maybe you are suppose to be a little more direct with your response. Maybe that directness will help make a friend. Maybe your answer will identity a brother. Either way, as God's child you need your father and you need others as well. Make today be a day filled with relational encounters. Then, maybe the drive to cope will be replace with the reality of peace in your soul.

Day 214 - The Great Life

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

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"His greatness outshines my view of His goodness all the time."

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 94.

This quote can make it sound like this is a fact in my life. It sounds as though I'm saying that I always see and appreciate God's greatness more than I do His goodness. Honestly, that just isn't the case all the time. It is when the challenges of life come against me that God's greatness can take a back seat to my need to see His goodness happen in and around me. Let me explain that a bit more as it relates to living this life as a victor. 

You see, God is a good God. This is a fact that is spelled out, time and time again in the Bible. In fact, I believe God's Word tells us that Satan's main objective is to get us to doubt God's goodness  in our lives? Why would the devil implement this strategy? I believe that it is because if we can't hold on to the hope that God is good, there is no use in having any belief in a God at all. 

Maybe that's why being an agnostic or an atheist is such a viable alternative to faith in God. It is so easy to simply refuse to believe in a loving God when so much of what we see happening in life points to the fact that goodness can't possibly be part of this, so called, God of love. Satan has done a magnificent job of implementing his primary plan of attack when we come to doubting God's goodness. 

We fall right into Satan's plan of attack when we let our circumstances be a part of defining what a good life is to look like. It is when we look to the results of those things we do as proof of who this God is in our lives that goodness becomes something that drives us away from God rather than push us toward Him. 

But, then there is the issue of God's greatness. You see what gets us into trouble is thinking that God is great because God is good. Applying that kind of thinking into you life plays right into Satan's hands. God isn't great because He is good to you and to me. He is great because He is God. It is when we start to be touched by God's greatness that His goodness is so much easier to accept, even when bad times come our way. 

God is great whether we are doing well in life and God is great when things take a bad turn in our lives. His goodness doesn't prove His greatness - it just helps make His greatness something easier to  believe when bad times come our way. As we mature into the kinds of victors God sees us to be, we are better able to hold onto His greatness when goodness seems to be so lacking in our lives. 

For today's Bible reading I want us to consider two verses. One speaks to God's goodness. The other speaks to His greatness. Let's look at God's word together now. The first verses says. 

O Lord, you are so good and kind, so ready to forgive, so full of mercy for all who ask your aid. Psalm 86:5 (TLB)

How do you feel when you hear that verse? Isn't there a warmth that comes over you? Can't you just smell the goodness of God like the aroma of fresh baked cookies wafting through your home? Goodness, particularly goodness like described above is so comforting. It is so easy to see why goodness is so attractive. It makes us feel good with the kind of good that touches us deep into our soul. Now consider the following verse on God's greatness. 

“O Lord God,” I cried out; “O great and awesome God who keeps his promises and is so loving and kind to those who love and obey him! Hear my prayer! Nehemiah 1:5 (TLB)

Feel the difference in that verse? Where the goodness verse feels warm and cuddly, this verse makes me want to stand at attention. There is an authority that can't be missed in these words. Though the word "love" is mentioned in today's reading, it isn't the kind of cuddly and comfortable love that I want goodness to be all about. 

The reality is that for the victor to live in the power God sees for our lives, goodness and greatness have to be connected in a way that comes from perspective. Goodness doesn't prove greatness. Goodness is empowered by greatness. It is when we see the power of God coming from how great He is that the definition of what is the goodness of God can be viewed in a life changing way in our world. 

Victim thinking happens when we let our circumstances be the driving force as to what God's goodness is to look like in our lives. Do you see how limiting that is to God, that last statement describing God's goodness? If we demand that God's goodness be exactly what we say it needs to be based on what we need in this life then we put God in a box where greatness has to be sacrificed by this great God. That's just not a place where He will stay for long. He won't stay there because it isn't the best for us to Him to lay down His greatness to serve our demands for a good life. 

I know that sounds mean and unloving. That's why it is so easy to just not believe in a God at all. Connecting what we want and need in life to whether God is good kills the greatness that we might be able to come into contact with as we relate to this God that loves us so. 

As you go after all the goodness this life has to offer, remember the greatness of God. His love for you is so great that He will even tolerate Satan's attacks in your life if those attacks will make His plan for salvation be something you and those around you might better see and want in their lives. I know that doesn't sound loving or good. But it is great! 

Let God be god in your life today. Let His greatness shine as you stand against the craziness of this world knowing who you are. Your status as victor is guaranteed by the fact that God calls you His child, not be the amount of goodness you might attain in your life. Thank God for His greatness and watch as that greatness works its power in and through all you do this amazing day. 

Day 213 - The Bride

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

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"That’s why I think God hates religion. It has the ability to make us doubt who we are in His eyes."

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 76.

There are so many people who have been turned off by religion in the world today. Why do you think that is? I believe that, for the most part, those who have been turned off by religion have been overcome with feelings that our services have brought to them. Feelings that seem to be saying that they just don't measure up. The world is so good at making that point abundantly clear in our eyes. Nobody needs one more place working to drive that point home in our lives.

The church was an invention of God. It was a place we could gather to experience the glory, the magistry and the awe of a God who wants to relate to us in a personal and real way. The church was to be a place where relationship with God would be fostered. A place where the intimacy of love could be promoted in relationship building ways.

Take a look at today's reading as it relates to the "job" of the church.

Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave his life for it. He did this to dedicate the church to God by his word, after making it clean by washing it in water, in order to present the church to himself in all its beauty—pure and faultless, without spot or wrinkle or any other imperfection. Ephesians 5:25-27 (GNT)

This important verse in the Bible often gets missed due to where it is placed. As you can see from the beginning of our reading today, it starts with direction to husbands on how they are to love their wives. It is in the discussion on how wives are to love their husbands that so much controversy has occurred, thereby making it so easy to overlook the power of relationship these verses are trying to get across to us.

From these verses, I can't help but to see the call God is making to the church. Do you see that call in our reading today? If you are anything like me, you might naturally gravitate to the action words in our reading and equate those words to the call on our churches. Our reading today is filled with action. Words like dedicate, make, wash, and present all speak to me of important work we have to do in order to be prepared for what God has for us, the church, in the future.

Sadly, I think focusing solely on the action words is exactly what makes church become an unsafe place for many of us in the world today. When we focus only on dedication, washing clean, making pure and presentation we get off in the weeds in ways that makes us look more like the world than it does what God intended for the church to actually be.

Look, I'm in no way saying that action isn't to be part of our lives. Change without action is simply not possible. What I'm saying is that change isn't to be the focus of the church. Change is God's responsibility as we come into relationship with Him. The church isn't an agent of change. It is to be the bride of Christ! That speaks of relationship fostered from a place of acceptance and love that brings the power of change in a way that no religion can ever match.

You see, I think we have taken the action part of today's reading and made that too much of our objective. Religion can get so distracted with trying to make us all come to a place where we are presentable to God. I firmly believe that in doing life together, we will learn how to be more of what God sees us to be through Christ. I just as firmly believe that when we make change the focal point of our mission in the church, we miss the mark in such profound and easily rejected ways.

I came across this quote as I prepared this presentation. It sums up what God is looking for in the bride He calls the church to be. It says...

"You don’t marry someone you can live with – you marry the person who you cannot live without."

Religion is preoccupied with making us a person God can live with. We busy our church services with tips and techniques to help us get the badness out and the goodness in. This is all done with the good intentions of being presentable to God Himself.

God isn't waiting on us to get our lives together so He can relate to us. He can't live without us! Isn't that simply amazing.

I don't know that much about you, but I do know a lot about me. I don't feel adequate enough or competent enough or good enough... I don't see myself as being able to live up to being someone who anyone could not live without. It is when I live on the side of the equation that says that I need to do more to be what I think I need to be in order to be lovable that victim thinking really takes hold in my life. It is when I can rest in the fact that, though Christ, I am completely lovable that the power of victor living starts to work in my life.

There is one action in today's Bible reading that really has to be the foundation from which every church is built. That action is LOVE!

Love is an action that, when given in ways that foster relationships, makes change happen. Love has the power to make us even more presentable, even when being presentable isn't the an issue. I'm so glad God sees the church as something He can't live without. That means He can't live without me! The same goes for you.

Religion has to be about relationship first and foremost or it misses the mark altogether. The bridegroom, Christ, loves us in a way that makes it impossible for Him to live without us. Isn't it time we start living and loving in that way as well?

Wake up Church - that's you and me! Wake up to the fact that we were put here to live in power. That power is spelled L O V E. Let today be filled with endless possibilities of victor living. Start to see the victor in everyone around you as God sees the victor in you. It isn't about what you do to earn that victor status. It is about how you are seen that makes you irresistible to this God that loves you. Let that love be what drives you to do all you do today.

Day 212 - Stuck

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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"Also, like holiness, those who don’t understand how righteousness comes about are doomed to rigorous and futile striving. At some point you are guaranteed to fail when you rely on your own efforts to stand righteous before God."

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 58.

I have a reoccurring dream. I don't remember many of my dreams but for some reason, this dream always stays with me. In my dream, I'm running from someone or something. As hard as I am trying to run, it feels like I'm swimming in molasses. My legs just won't move like I want them to. Though I try with all my might, I'm slowly being overtaken by what I'm trying to get away from.

This dream doesn't happen often. When it does, it always disturbed me. Even the fact that I have shared this dream now gives me a little bit of the creeps. I'm sure this dream has some deep seated, psychological meaning. I really don't care if it does or not. What I want is to be able to keep that feeling out of my waking life as much as possible.

In my dream, it is as though trying to get away from whatever is pursuing me is an exercise in futility. I feel helpless at making my very own movement happen. What a horrible and trapped feeling. That's the exact feeling we all should have when we look to this world and to our actions in this world for the kinds of fulfillment only God can give.

So many of use strive to bring traits like holiness and righteousness into our lives. Sure there are a lot of things we can do to help make these traits part of our lives. What we have to come into the fullness of is that it isn't completely up to us to make these traits part of who we are. It is through God's power in our lives that things like holiness and righteousness can ever be a part of the identity we want for this world.

Read with me today's Bible verse and let's see how it relates to that feeling of futility when we take on too much of what God is suppose to be doing in our lives.

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV)

How much of a need for your effort do you see in becoming the righteous of God in today's reading? I don't see any of my effort at all. Maybe, at best, my effort is simply saying yes to the gift of God through Jesus Christ. Other than that, it looks to me that being righteous is more something God gives and less something I have to make happen in my life.

It is when we get stuck striving for things that God gives freely that we hamstring ourselves with victim thinking. This is so easy to do when it comes to holiness, righteousness, faith, love, relationship, and most importantly identity. We don't have to work ourselves to death to get these things. These things are part of who we are when we step into a relationship with God through His son. Working to get these things when they are already there is what makes us feel like we are swimming in molasses.

This doesn't mean that we play no part in the process. From today's reading, there are two words that, when we come across them in the Bible, we should pay particular attention. Those words are "so that..." In our reading today it says that Christ was given "so that in him..." Our job isn't to be striving to get righteousness or holiness or faith or love. Our job is to be "in Him". That's it. Relationship is what it is all about. God isn't looking for us to create these important traits in our lives. He wants us to walk with Him. In doing so, those traits come alive in ways we could never have made happen on our own.

Being "in Him" can sometimes be a challenging thing to do. It isn't because God is making relationship hard with Him. It is that our busy lives, filled with striving to get all we need to feel we are something of worth in this world, makes it difficult to see how to be "in Him." There are times when we just need to sit back, take a deep breath and just be. It isn't action that gets out of the molasses of life. It is when we recognize that what is overtaking us isn't evil but the love of God that we can sit back and let God's tidal wave of relationship wash over us in victor making ways.

All I can say is to do the best you can at recognizing when you feel stuck. Look at your life and see if there are things you are doing in your own efforts to try and make your identity be something that God already sees you as. Stop that kind of striving because it gets you no where. It is when you are able to see that where you are at this very moment is exactly where God is standing that you can begin to step into the journey with God. In doing so, your identity as God's Child has the power to make change in and around your life in ways that makes your victor status all it needs to be in your life.

Make today be all it can be. Stop striving and start living. Let the victor's life be what makes the journey God has laid out for you today be exactly what it needs to be for God's Kingdom to be built all around your life.

Day 211 - Living In Freedom

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 freedom comes we have to go on the journey with God to help us discover what it means to live the free life."

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 46.

Live is a journey towards greater and greater freedom when it comes to those living the victor’s life. We are victors because of the freedom Christ purchased for us on the cross not because we feel like we aren’t under the attack of bondage. Understanding and living out that freedom is a process that victors learn by living in this world filled with bondage of one type and another.

Today’s Bible reading is key to living like a victor.

What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. Galatians 4:1-2 (NIV)

No one wants to think of themselves as slaves. Nothing can be more tragic and victimizing than the thought that someone or something else can “own” you. Reality is that we all are slaves to something or another in this world. The way I read today’s Bible verse, we will remain slaves of one kind or another until the fullness of time is achieved in God’s eyes, or we pass from this life into the next.

Along the way though we are taken on a journey where slavery is replaced with a greater and greater realization of the heirship we are offered as Children of the King. That’s the journey all victors are on.

That’s where it gets dangerous for the victor to let their current circumstances affect their identities. At this moment your circumstances might be such that you look like and feel like a slave. Today’s reading is clear - though you might be a slave you are still heir to the entire Kingdom of God!

Freedom, particularly complete freedom in Christ is a journey. It is a process by which God is breaking the chains of this world to bring us into a greater realization that we are His Children and, thereby heirs to all He has and all He is.

Why does He take us on this journey? Why doesn’t He just give it all to us now? For the same reason you don’t give your 2 year old child a million dollars. They wouldn’t know how to handle it without first going on the journey with you to maturity.

Do you feel like a slave today? Is victim thinking creeping in because of that trapped feeling? Maybe today is your day for another step in the journey of freedom. Maybe you are about to receive another dose of heirship in your life that will break off those chains for good. Either way, you are a victor whether the chains are broken or not. You are God’s Child and that makes you free no matter what your circumstances dictate.

Day 210 - Feelings or Identity

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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"God acted out of who he was, not how he felt. Roles make us live a roller coaster life. One moment we feel we are on top of the world because a particular role we are living out is working our way. The next minute we feel we are sinking fast because we aren’t living up to the way we think a role should be playing out."

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 25.

Feelings are a tricky thing when it comes to living the life of a victor. It isn’t that feelings can’t be trusted. Feelings are an important part of what makes a human a human. It’s just when we use feelings to dictate how we act or react to situations that come our way that we get into trouble. Feelings based actions lead to a roller coaster kind of life that is a hallmark of victim thinkers.

Today’s reading takes a look at how God acts and reacts to challenges He faces.

I acted out of who I was, not by how I felt. And I acted in a way that would evoke honor… Ezekiel 20:9 (MSG)

God was tempted to destroy the entire nation of Israel because of their idolatrous ways. Had he acted on how He felt there would have been “hell to pay!” Instead, God acted out of who He was (and is). Identity is the key to acting and reacting to all that goes on in the victor’s life.

When the roles we play don’t go the way we expected, we are tempted to act out of how we feel. Anger, depression, frustration, jealousy, vindictiveness, even hatred can be the norm for those who act out of how they feel when they don’t get their way. Victors just can’t afford to live this way. Doing so kills the peace that comes with the power of knowing who we are.

The other trait we see God exhibiting from today’s reading is something called honor. God acted in a way that would bring honor to Him and honor to the nation of Israel. Victors somehow just seem to ultimately default in a way that brings honor. We always don’t make the honorable choice right off the bat but it isn’t long before we experience a course correction and get back to our honor based identity. A Child of God’s is a victor that acts in a way that ultimately brings honor to The Father.

Each and every task you put your hand to today comes with the need to act or react. Take the victor’s path today and act or react the way your Heavenly Father would. When you allow your identity as God’s Child be what guides your actions, honor will ultimately be the result. Those stuck in victim thinking might not appreciate an honor based action but know this; when honor is the result of acting out of who you are, God smiles with pride at the actions of his Child.

Day 209 - Falling Short

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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"So it is with offense. The longer offense is allowed to linger in the life of the offended the bigger the problem of bitterness can become. Just like the plant root, bitterness seems to find its way deep into every action of the offended. It grows larger than the offense that it was designed to support."

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 210.

What if I were to tell you that I knew of a movie that, if you watched it, it would do all of the following in your life.

• Open the door to darkness and evil 
• Make it impossible for you to experience peace and joy
• Make relationship very challenging, even with those you love
• Make defeat in your life a real possbility
• Make it almost impossible to relate to this God that loves you

With all that in mind, would you watch that movie? I love watching movies of various kinds, but I think if I were made aware that a film that would do all these things in my life I would choose to avoid that movie like the plague. I'm willing to bet most of you would do the same. 

There is a character trait that we flirt with at times that guarantees all of the points described above will be part of your life. That trait is bitterness. 

So many of us allow bitterness to grow and thrive in our lives. It got there as a result of prolonged periods of time stuck in victim thinking. The challenging times that have come against us over a lifetime has made it possible to believe things about ourselves that make bitterness something that we seem to readily invite into our lives. When bitterness has taken hold, darkness, unease, defeat, broken relationships and so much more of the symptoms our Victim Based Society seems to promote these days, come rushing into our lives. 

God hates bitterness. He hates what bitterness does to His children. It turns us into a grumpy and disgruntled people. Those affected with bitterness are some of the hardest people to be around. I hate to say this, but so many of our church pews are filled with people who have made church life something that is downright unappealing by the presence of bitterness in their lives. 

Who in their right mind would want to be part of a relationship with God if the people that are suppose to be representing what a relationship with God looks like walk, around with scowls on their face due to the bitterness they entertain in life. Where is the fruit that comes with the Joy of the Lord in those people's life? God's plan isn't to attract those who want to relate to Him through the bad attitudes caused by bitterness in His Children's lives. He is looking for a world full of followers who find a relationship with Him worth everything this world might throw at them. Those are the people God calls victors. 

God is pretty direct when it comes to living a life free of bitterness. Take a look at today's Bible reading with me now. 

See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. Hebrews 12:15 (NIV)

The author of Hebrews lists two devastating effects of bitterness in the lives of God's people. First of all it causes trouble. Trouble follows the bitterness in a person's life. Trouble with relationships, trouble with contentment, trouble with love, even trouble with health are all byproducts of those with bitterness lingering in their lives. Much study has been done on the effects of bitterness. Sometimes the trouble bitterness causes creates a level of drama that is nothing short of ugly. That ugliness makes it so easy to reject the embittered soul. Having these kinds of results inside the Church flies in the face of God's plan for building a Kingdom on Earth that has eternal impact.

Hebrews also says that bitterness defiles many. Bitterness is contagious. It can infect entire groups of people in ways that is sometimes hard to recognize. The bitter person can do and say things to others that hurt them in ways that make them bitter as well. From the outside looking in, the outbreak of bitterness is something the world wants to avoid making Church look like the last thing on earth anyone would want to be involved in.

What's the answer to this contagion that is so hard to control? I think the basis of our cure is found in the first line of today's reading. The author says, "See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God..." What a beautiful and powerful combination of words.

It is our job to make sure none of us are missing the fullness of God's Grace. Grace, when it comes to the cure for bitterness, comes as we forgive. You see, if bitterness happens as a result of someone doing something against you that caused offense, then God is the epitome of someone who has the right to be bitter.

We have rejected God at every turn. We have done things to bring hurt into our creator's life that we wouldn't do to our worst enemy. God has every right to be offended and therefore bitter against us. Yet He isn't. Why? Because He choose to forgive. He forgave you and me of all the offensive things we have done, are doing and will do in our lives. When we once again find ourselves in a place where we have messed up this life He gave, He forgives us all over again. There is no bitterness in God's relationship with us because He has so completely forgave us.

It is when we fail to forgive that we fall so short of the grace that abounds all around us. In that falling short, bitterness takes root and victim thinking begins to influence us in ways that make relationship with others and with God a virtual impossibility. I hate falling short of anything of worth in this world. Why would I ever allow myself to fall short of the grace God is giving through the power of forgiveness?

Is there a bitter root sprouting in your life? Maybe that root has grown deep into your soul after years of being there. Isn't it time to unleash the unlimited power of God in your life today? Forgive and watch what happens. You carry the image of a God that has banked His entire plan of salvation on the power of forgiveness. Step into the fullness of the victor God has called you to be and forgive so that bitterness can be destroyed in your life today.

Day 208 - Living Between The Ticks

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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"Instead of a sense of urgency that says, 'I have to get busy making something happen,' I can now live with a posture of trust that is summed up by the statement, 'It’s up to God to make this happen.'"

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 196.

I hate that feeling that comes when I realize that time is growing short when it comes to getting something done. That feeling is most overwhelming when so much of what needs to be done to get to completion is still yet to be accomplished. 

You know what I'm talking about. How would you feel if you were to wake up on a Friday morning realizing that that project you have put off for a while now is due on Monday afternoon. I can remember that mix of panic and dread as I considered how in the world I was going to get done all that needed to be done in the few short days remaining before a project was due. That same dread and panic can slip into our lives when we view destiny like a project we have failed to make happen. 

Please don't take this discussion as an admonition against procrastination. Time management and other project focused tools isn't what I think we need more of in order to live the life of the victor God has made possible for us. No, we don't need tips and techniques - they are a dime a dozen in the natural world. What we need to help break the panic and dread that comes when time seems so short is a perspective that doesn't leave us trapped in victim thinking. 

Time is such a cruel and merciless task master. It marches forward no matter what the situation. There is no letting up when one considers the unending tick, tick, tick of the clock. Time doesn't care one little bit how busy your life is or how many challenges you have had to face. Time stops for no man and that simple fact can make destiny filled with dread and panic when destiny is thought to be the sole responsibility of you and of me. 

I love what today's Bible reading is trying to communicate about time and our destiny. Let's take a look at it together. 

For God says,

“At just the right time, I heard you.

    On the day of salvation, I helped you.”

Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:2 (NIV)

The use of the word "today" in our reading is so important for those of us seeking to live the life of a victor. The right time is right now! Today is the day of salvation. When viewed in the light of this perspective, victim thinking issues surrounding the short time we have left to make destiny happen pale by comparison. Let me explain that a bit further. 

So much of the panic and dread that I feel when it comes to destiny stems from the fact that, that mean old clock just keeps on ticking. Did you know there are over 31 1/2 million seconds in a year! Each tick you hear on a clock is counting down to when that clock won't tick any longer for each one of us. So far I have lived through some 1.8 billion ticks of the clock. Want to know how many ticks you have, just multiply 31.5 million times your age and that is how many ticks you have heard in your life time. The bigger that number is, the shorter it is till your clock won't be ticking any longer. 

I'm definitely on the down hill side of the time remaining to get something accomplished in this life. The more I think about that the greater the stress I feel. What has helped me so much in this process is viewing destiny with the perspective God has on the subject. 

You see, God has all eternity to get done what He has planned. I'm created in the image of God, so why shouldn't I view my destiny through the same lens? This doesn't give me permission to ease up on doing but it makes my doing able to be measured in a way that isn't limited solely by this thing called time. 

I think that is why today's Bible reading has drawn our attention to the here and now. As far as God is concerned, tomorrow doesn't mean a thing to Him. It is the today, the right now of your life that God wants you to be focused on. It isn't how many ticks you have wasted in life or how you might best utilize the number of ticks you have left. What matters to God is the silence between the ticks on the clock right now. 

It is the second you are living out right this moment that has power to change the world. That's what today's reading is saying to me. Right now is the right time. God has already heard you and is hard at work making this moment be all it can be in your life. The salvation you need to make your life stand for something in this world has been delivered. Today is your day of salvation. It has already been made to happen and whether you see that or not, you are a victor because of God's plan of salvation through Jesus Christ. 

Living with the attitude that it is all up to us to make this life be all it can be is a victim thinker's way of living. By saying this, I'm in no way giving permission to simply coast through life. What a waste it would be to do that with something as precious as life itself. No, coasting isn't what we are to do, just as we aren't to fret over whether we will arrive at that mysterious place called destiny. It is by living in the place where this moment is all that matters that makes the power of destiny take hold in the life of a victor. 

Today is your day. Right now is your moment. If you hear these words and jump to thinking that it all is going to work out your way, I guarantee victim thinking will be part of your near future. Right now and the power of today has nothing to do with our view of worldly success. Right now and today is all about the power of God flowing through His Child in a hurting and lost world. 

Make that power be all it can be as you go about your day living in that place were time literally stands still. Live in between the ticks and let your victor status be all it can be to allow God to make your destiny be what He has planned all along for your today. 

Day 207 - Surrender

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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"It is a sad fact that real and meaningful change often can’t happen until we completely surrender. Surrender usually comes at the end of a long journey through the pain of a string of “have to” obligations that hit us square in the face."

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 183.

Surrender is such a terrible word in my life. I have been taught that you never give up. It is a fact that most of the significant change in this world came as people simply wouldn't take no for an answer. Here are some examples of what I'm talking about. 

Thomas Edison, it is said, was told that he didn't poses the mental ability to be a person of learning. It took over 1000 tries before he found the right combination of materials needed to make the light bulb. Micheal Jordan, arguably the most accomplished basketball player in history, was cut from his high school basketball team - he didn't have the talent to play against teenagers. Walt Disney was fired from a job because it was said he lacked imagination and that his ideas were no good. Henry Ford bankrupt multiple companies before making a go of it with Ford Motor Company. Abraham Lincoln, JK Rowling, Winston Churchill - take a look at the life of just about any person who has had an impact on history and you will see failure after failure that had to be overcome before success was even a remote possibility.

I don't mention this as a pep talk. My words aren't meant to make it so that you will keep success as a dream. What I hope this discussion surrounding victor living does for you and for me is to keep us in the game of life. It is when victim thinking takes over that surrender becomes such a damaging word as we work to apply surrender in such personally destructive ways. 

You see it would have been so easy for Thomas Edison to surrender his efforts at attempt 999 with the light bulb. The invention of the light bulb would have been attributed to someone else had victim thinking taken over in Edison's life and had he surrendered his attempts at history. Same goes for the amazing list of notables that have risen to the top of their game after overcoming failure after failure. 

I have found that surrender is absolutely the key to those who succeed as well as those who fail. It is what the person is surrendering that makes the difference when it comes to success or failure. Those who have reached the pinnacle of success after multiple failures are just as beholden to surrender as those who never reached their pinnacles due to surrender. Let me expand that thought a bit. 

You see, I believe that those who have turned failure into success did so as they surrendered their drive to let what they were doing to have any impact their identities. I can't find in the biographies of famous people who have overcome failure the statement, "I did what I did because I wanted people to like me." No, there was something greater driving those destined for success. They had surrendered the identity issues of success for the passion that drove them way past their care for what others might think of them. 

Where victors surrender letting results be what defines them, victim thinkers let what others might think drive them to give up on their dreams and passions. Success and failure, victor living and victim thinking all happen as a result of surrender. What kind of surrender are you going to give in to today?

There are so many verses in the Bible on surrender. Some of them speak of surrendering to God. Others speak of never giving up. The life of a victor is defined by the knowledge of when to surrender and when not to. Check out today's reading with me now.

So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit. Galatians 6:9 (MSG)

This is an example of when we are not to give up, when surrender should never be an option. It is in the doing of good that God wants us to persevere, even when the odds are stacked against us. I believe good can have a wide range of definitions in this context. Sure it means being kind and gentle to one another, but I believe good can also be related to what we do when what we do isn't tied to our identity.

God wants us to pursue our passions. He wants us to be all we can be. It is when what we do is so closely tied to who we are that God is looking for surrender in our lives. He had rather us give up on our passions if our passions make it so that we will turn to this world for confirmation of who we are. It isn't that God wants us to fail in the world, it is that failure is guaranteed in a personal way when we let this world dictate who we are.

What good are you doing today? Is that good being met with resistance by the world? If that good you are working on is devoid of as much identity connection as possible, then never, never, never give up! If you are looking for that good you are doing to bring into clarity your identity, then stop now! Even if you get all you are looking for from the world by your efforts, the damage to who you are won't be worth the worldly gains when you tie identity to the success of what you do.

Surrender is the key to your success. Give up on letting your identity be empowered by what you do. At the same time, never give up on the passion you have in your heart if the results of that passion is, is not tied to who you are. Let the fact that God sees you as a victor no matter how much victory you have in your life be the power needed to push through the obstacles you will face today. 

Day 206 - Liberty

Click here to link directly to the audio file.

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I was having dinner with a friend recently. He was telling me about this big business deal he had made happen for his company. Through his efforts, a significant sale was made that brought great accolade to all involved. I asked my friend how much the contract he sold was for and believe me it was a significant accomplishment this friend made happen. Here's where the story got really interesting for me that evening.

I asked my friend how the company he worked for reacted to this sale. He said that there was a flurry of emails going around congratulating his boss, and his boss's boss coming form the highest echelons of the company. As my friend saw so many people getting pats on the back for all the hard work my friend had done, something started to arise in my friend's thinking.

You see, at that moment, my friend started to let victim thinking creep into his life through feelings of jealousy. He began looking at all the congratulations that others were getting as a slight against him and all the hard work he had to do to make this sale possible. Though he was getting pats on the back as well, the fact that others, thousands of miles away, were getting credit didn't sit right with him at all.

He told me he was getting ready to sit down and craft a carefully worded email to help all the powers to be know of their mistake in spreading the good tidings of this sale so widely in the company. My friend is really skilled at making a point, even a difficult point. Maybe that is why he is such a good salesman. It sure is a skill that helped him land such a lucrative deal for his company.

My friend said that as he contemplated sending out an email to set everyone straight, something just didn't feel right. He was torn about what to do. He still felt slighted at how upper management was handling the good news of this sale but he just couldn't pull the trigger on writing a response to all involved. My friend stopped in the middle his confusion and asked God to intervene.

It wasn't long after that moment of prayer that something hit my friend like a ton of bricks. He realized that God loved him just as much whether he got all the credit he wanted for making that sale or not. You see, my friend realized that credit wasn't the issue, identity was. This friend was about to step into the dangerous zone of making identity about something others see as a result of what he did. But, like the victor I know this friend to be, he didn't.

My friend said that when he realized the fact that God's love was for him whether he was viewed as a success by others or not, a peace came over him that was literally inexplicable. It just didn't matter whether he got ALL the attention his fragile soul wanted or not. God saw him as the fullness of the victor He calls my friend to be and at that moment that was enough for him.

He told me that he was so glad he didn't waste the time writing an email to correct all those he felt slighted by. He said that he would have spent hours agonizing over every word of this email to make sure it was the right combination of information combined with the respect needed to make sure he didn't lose his job. He also realized that, if he would have sent that email, many many hours would have been required to deal with the fallout of sending such an email around to upper management. Misunderstandings would have resulted and so much precious time would have had to be invested to clean up the mess identity issues could have caused that day in my friend's life.

This victor told me that evening that he felt liberated by his decision. He knew what a good job he had done. Others in the company knew it as well. It was when this friend recognized victim thinking lurking at the door that he was able to shut that door in ways that brought a power to his life that just can't be matched by any pat on the back from man in this world.

Liberated is a great word for us to think about when it comes to victor living. To be liberated means that we are set free from bondage. My friend's feeling of liberation was exactly what happened. He was set free from the bondage victim thinking promises when we let this be the lens from which we view life. Liberation comes as we live in the status of victor living.

Check out what the Bible says on the subject.

Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
    I will protect him, because he knows my name.
When he calls to me, I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble;
    I will rescue him and honor him. Psalm 91:14-15 (ESV)

My friend was protected from the effects of victim thinking because he held fast to God's love for his life. He rejected man's attention for the love God has proven to my friend time and time again. This is what brought the feeling of liberation at being able to just let God be God in the aftermath of this amazing accomplishment my friend made happen.

That's what God wants for us all. Freedom is His goal for each and everyone of us. That freedom will be complete when we pass from this life into the next one. But we can experience the fullness of that freedom here as we turn to God when victim thinking threatens to take hold in our lives.

God hates His children to be in bondage. He can't stand when we turn to this world to get what He so freely gives. It is when we let the victor status He placed in each of us come alive, that freedom can be seen and lived out in the lives of us all.

I hope you and I will do what my friend did that day when this world threatened to take him back into bondage. I hope we will turn to God and let His love be all we need for fulfillment in this world. It is only in that way can we too find that place of liberation that my friend found as he faced his battles in this world.

What are you about to do today that is being spurred on by victim thinking? I hope you are more interested in freedom than in being right when it comes to your identity. Take a lesson from my friend and let freedom be what makes your identity be all it can be as you live out your victor status today.

Day 205 - Reaction

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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"Bad stuff is going to happen to us all. It’s how we react to that bad stuff that sets victors apart from those trapped in victim thinking."

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 141.

Our reaction to things in this world is such a powerful reflection of the kind of life we are living at that moment. This is particularly the case when it comes to our reaction to the badness that happens from time to time. 

I use to react in such a negative way when bad times hit. Even the simplest of mishap could send me into a tailspin. I can remember some of my most used words when something didn't go my way were, "Why me?". It was as though I thought the world had a personal vendetta against me when even something small and relatively insignificant happened in my life. Thank God, nothing really bad happened during those days when my reaction was so skewed. Who knows the amount of victim thinking I could have unleashed with such a bad attitude. 

I have thought long and hard as to why I reacted in such a selfish manner when I experienced things I didn't care to have in my life. You see, I think that the reason I was able to let my reaction get the better of me was because I really didn't know who I was. I was looking to the world to try and help me find my identity. When bad things hit, that brought in a level of identity that scared me badly. I just couldn't stand the thought that badness could ever be a part of who I was. 

Look, I hate bad things happening to me as much as the next guy. That reality doesn't make me a victim thinker. It is the fact that I wanted a good life to be proof of something about myself that made it possible for victim thinking to control my reaction to life's circumstances from time to time. When we don't know who we are even the smallest of slights against us can make us react in ways that just doesn't rise to the level of who we really are. 

The Dalai Lama has this to say about our reaction to things that come against us. "When we meet real tragedy in life, we can react in two ways - either by losing hope and falling into self-destructive habits, or by using the challenge to find our inner strength." 

Now, there's a choice that sets the victor from the victim thinker apart. It is when we turn inward in ways that make self destructive habits part of our coping mechanism that victim thinking can come out of our reactions in potentially victimizing ways. When we turn inward for a strength that has been there before time began that our reaction can take on an entirely different view by this world.

I find it interesting that the Dalai Lama sees what I call victor living and victim thinking the result of the same action. Turning inward isn't what sets the victor apart from the victim thinker. It is what we are looking for when we turn inward that makes the difference. When we come to realize that there are times in this life that we just can't control that we stand the best chance for making our reaction be be something that comes from strength rather from destruction.

Today's Bible reading emphasizes the importance of time in the life of a victor. Check it out with me now.

There’s an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth:
A right time for birth and another for death,
A right time to plant and another to reap,
A right time to kill and another to heal,
A right time to destroy and another to construct,
A right time to cry and another to laugh,
A right time to lament and another to cheer,
A right time to make love and another to abstain,
A right time to embrace and another to part,
A right time to search and another to count your losses,
A right time to hold on and another to let go,
A right time to rip out and another to mend,
A right time to shut up and another to speak up,
A right time to love and another to hate,
A right time to wage war and another to make peace. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (MSG)

Bad times are nothing more than that - a time that is passing by. Bad times aren't necessarily a reflection of who you are. They aren't a confirmation as to your value or worth in this world. Bad times are just as fleeting, just as temporary and just as impacting as are the good times in life when it comes to who you are. Good times as well as bad mean nothing when it comes to who you are. Your reaction to good and bad times is what helps to point out the kind of life you are choosing to lead.

I wish I could say I react perfectly to all situations, good or bad, that come my way. I simply can't say that. What I'm learning is that the more I rely on what God says about me the better chance I have at being able to react in ways that make positive change in this world, even when bad times hit.

I hope your day is filled with amazingly positive circumstances. I also hope you react to those positive events in ways that don't challenge your victor status in any way. If, however, you are in the throws of badness, I hope you are able to turn inward and call up that inner strength God has placed there for you. Let your victor status not be challenged by victimizing events in your life. Let the power of who you are as God's Child be what fuels the fire to make change in your world today. 

Day 204 - Not Enough To Go Around

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 have found that victims see things through a paradigm that is best described as, 'There just isn’t enough to go around.'"

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 124.

Don't you know when you get down to that last piece of your favorite pie it is so hard to be generous when it comes to sharing that pie with others. When there just isn't enough to go around, generosity can be such a elusive trait in our lives. 

I have come to realize that generosity isn't all that special of a thing when we are generous with what we have plenty of. It is when we choose to be generous with what we see as having too little of that this trait takes on a power that can make big changes happen in our world. 

God exhibited generosity in that kind of power filled, world changing ways when it came to the cross. You see, God had only one son. He choose to share the life of that son with anyone who would like to accept that gift in order to have permanent relationship with us all. God was truly generous with something very rare and extremely valuable to Him. Jesus is a symbol of generosity that we all should look to when it comes to being generous with the things we have been blessed with. 

Look, I'm not saying that you aren't being generous when you share some of what you have plenty of. Sharing is a corner stone of the characteristic of generosity. What I'm saying is that generosity takes on a completely different power and perspective when we choose to share what we have precious little of. The difference between victor living and victim thinking when it comes to generosity has so much to do with motive for giving in the first place. 

There is a story in the Bible that illustrates this concept so well. It is called the Widow and the Mite. Check out the story as we consider the verses from today's Bible reading. 

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.” Mark 12:41-44 (NIV)

I have read and heard this story many times over the years. I saw something that I never paid any attention to in the past. Jesus purposely sat down in a place where He could watch people placing their money into the temple treasury. It is so interesting to me that He would go to such lengths to help us learn a lesson on generosity. 

It was from His vantage point that Jesus could see exactly what was going on. Person after person placed their offerings into where they collected the money. Some made a show of what they placed in the offering. And, for good reason. Jesus said some threw in large amounts. Others probably did their best to make their giving be as anonymous as possible. Then comes a poor widow. She places two copper coins in the offering. 

Compared to the amounts others placed into the till, this woman's giving was ludicrous at best. Don't you know that she must have felt embarrassed at the fact she had so little to give compared to the vast sums that were being given that day. Yet, Jesus didn't let the moment go by without highlighting something important about generosity in this story. 

You see, true generosity comes with great cost. The widow gave all she had while the rich gave out of their excess. Please don't get in a place of victim thinking believing that Jesus requires that we give all our assets if we really want to be considered generous. That just isn't the case. 

What I believe Jesus was teaching here is that generosity is directly tied to motivation. The rich were giving out of making a spectacle of their offering. They were giving out of the fullness of all they had with hopes that their status as someone important would be seen and understood by all in plain view. Their giving was coming from a place of identity. I know I sound like a broken record with this next statement, but anytime we tie our identities to anything in this world, victim thinking is sure to be the result. 

The rich person's fault wasn't in giving out of their excess. It was in giving with a motive of bolstering their identity. When we use generosity as a motive for anything, we aren't really being generous at all. 

The widow was exhibiting true generosity. She was giving from a place of power. She knew who she was. More importantly, she knew God knew who she was. She was giving to God because she loved Him and knew He loved her. Her identity was secure and no amount of giving would have helped her to better live out her identity as far as she was concerned. That's a victor's way of generosity, not to mention that it was a victor's way of living out life as well. 

The widow didn't have enough to go around. Those two coins were all she had to her name. In God's eyes, that gift was more valuable than all the money in the world. It was the woman's motive for giving that caught Jesus' eye and frankly His heart. When love is the motive, generosity is such a powerful force in the world. 

I want to live my life giving from a place of love. I have been blessed so my giving might not take me to a place where I give all I have. That doesn't really matter as far as I believe Jesus is concerned. I believe God is more concerned with our heart than the amount we give when generosity is concerned. 

Truth is that victors and victim thinkers alike can be very generous from all outward appearances. I hope you are starting to appreciate that God doesn't judge who we are from the outside. He looks inside who we are when it comes to labeling us with terms like generosity and faithfulness. The victor works to do things from a place of confidence in knowing who they are. The victim thinker uses what they do to help make who they are more apparent to themselves and to others around them. God sees the difference and helps us to find a place where we will will appreciate the power of victor living, particularly when it comes to generosity. 

From where will your generosity come from today? I hope you won't be in the difficult position of giving all you have but if you do, please let that giving be motivated from the place of love. Let God's love for you be all the motive you need to be extremely generous with all you have been blessed with today.

Day 203 - Accept It

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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"Victor thinking goes a long way in how we deal with the challenges life tosses at us. I’m in no way saying that victor thinking guarantees financial success. There is nothing in this world that can make that kind of connection no matter how much we want it to happen."

As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 105.

Attitude can play such a powerful role in how we react to the challenges that come our way. It is when we come to a place of acceptance that our attitudes can come into line with the way we want to live out our lives. 

By acceptance, I don't mean being OK with where we are at any given moment. When bad times hit, why in the world would I ever be OK with that. What I mean by acceptance is getting to a place where we can view life and, the challenges that come our way, with a perspective that gives us the best chance to weather our storms with as much grace and power as possible. 

There is a big difference between the way victors accept life and how victim thinkers approach the issue of  acceptance. The victor knows who they are and are quick to let the fact that whatever is happening to them has absolutely nothing to do with who they are. Though they may not like the circumstances they are facing, the victor comes to a place of acceptance when it comes to their identity. They are who God says they are no matter what the world brings to their doorstep. Acceptance that has power in the life of a victor comes when the victor accepts who they are no matter what their life looks like at any given moment. 

Victim thinkers look at acceptance in a totally different light. When bad times hit, they are quick to accept the fact that the things that happen to them are but another example of the world telling them that they just don't measure up. That attitude spills over into all their relationships in damaging and victim making ways. Connections with loved ones, even their connection with God is impacted by the fact that the victim thinker measures their identity by the results of what they do. Good results allow the victim thinker to accept that their identity is something that the world sees as good. Bad results lets the victim thinker accept that the world must be punishing them for doing something wrong. 

Truth is that we all, victors and victim thinkers alike, are looking for the golden ticket when it comes to life. We all want a formula that says, if I do this then my good life will be guaranteed. At times we even believe that we have found that ticket. When that happens we work it for all it is worth and let our identity concerns take a back seat to the pleasure of living a good life. 

Unfortunately, that ride just doesn't last forever. Even the most golden of golden ticket tarnishes as life takes the kinds of twists and turns victors and victim thinkers will have to endure. Victors, like victim thinkers have a choice when life turns in directions we didn't expect. We can either choose to accept who God says we are or we can let this life dictate our view on who we are. 

The Bible is an amazing book when it comes to identity and acceptance. The Bible is broken down into two major sections. There is the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament is about 2/3 of the Bible. It contains 39 "books" while the remaining 1/3 of the Bible has 27 "books". I often wondered why the Bible was broken down this way. Based on my thinking about victor living vs victim thinking, I think I have a theory that might point out why the Old Testament is much larger than the New. 

The Old Testament is God's explanation and Israel's attempt at living out what God requires to make relationship with Him possible. The Old Testament is filled with rules and regulations. It is also filled with example after example of the people's failure to be able to follow those rules and regulations. What also fills the pages of the Old Testament is God's response to the people's failure at trying to keep the rules - wrath, destruction, rejection and suffering. Not a pretty picture of relationship if you ask me. 

The Old Testament is God's way of showing us the futility of relying on our efforts to get to Him. We just can't consistently do what is required to reach out for relationship with this God of ours. Perfection is required and we are a species that is lousy at perfection. God knew that and give us ways to overcome those lousy tendencies, but even our ability to do what it takes to get us back in good graces falls short when people are given the chance to do it on their own. 

The New Testament shows us that there is a different way when it comes to who we are. This part of the Bible tells the story of a God that wants relationship with us so badly that He reaches out to us to make the way. Instead of letting us kill ourselves trying to get to Him, knowing that we will fail, He comes to us and gives us what is impossible to earn. It takes more stories, more pages, more books to get us convinced that we can't do it on our own than it does to explain the plan of God doing it for us. That's why I think the Bible is broken down like it is. We need as much ammunition as possible to get us to stop trying to find our lives through our own efforts than we need to just accept who God says we are. 

Sad thing is is that it is our nature to try and do it all on our own. Take a look at today's Bible reading with me in the light of accepting who we are in God's eyes. 

If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it. Genesis 4:7 (NASB)

This verse is from the Old Testament. It clearly connects our doing to how we will feel about ourselves. God isn't telling an untruth. He isn't trying to mislead us. He is clearly pointing out the reality of human nature. If we do well we will feel good about ourselves. It is when we take this truth and try to make it a defining part of who we are in this God's eyes that trouble begins. When we tie identity to anything we do we find it hard to accept our victor status when things don't turn out the way we want them to. Old Testament living is man's attempt at reconciling their imperfect life with a perfect God. The New Testament is all about us accepting that imperfection has nothing to do with who God sees us to be. 

Yet try we will to do all we can to prove who we are before those important relationships in our lives, including the relationship we want with our God. It is when the victim thinker accepts that God thinks the world of him or her no matter what their lives look like that victor living begins to happen. 

Isn't it time to just accept who God says you are? It is through the power of victor living that the relational desires of this God will happen to those of us He calls His Child. Let today be the kind of day where circumstance doesn't define who you are. Believe in your status as a victor and watch how God works through that status in all you do today.