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"There will always be victims of evil and demented thinking and misrepresentations of good in this world.”
As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 8.
Today’s Bible reading points out why victors find themselves in this position.
...but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die. Genesis 2:17 (NIV)
Adam and Eve ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil and we all face death as a result. Have you ever wondered why God didn't want Adam and Eve to eat of this tree? Here's a question that might help answer that last one. What is good for your life?
You see, what you think is good might be the epitome of badness in the life of another. Put two people in a room and ask what is the definition of good and evil, and the potential for disagreement over this issue might actually cause a rift that God never intended for us to ever deal with. I believe that's why there is so much animosity among people in our Victim Based Society today. One group literally hates another because of their views as to what good and evil are in this world. Death is the result of trying to determine good from bad in a world that has its identity tied to worldly results.
We are limited in our ability to consider the issue of goodness from a Heavenly perspective. What the world tells us is good for our lives might not be the best when it comes from God’s view. That’s why God didn’t want us to know the difference between “good and bad.” He knew that it would kill a part of us on a moment by moment basis as we strive to obtain what we deem good for our lives using our limited perspective.
To help drive this home, let me ask you another question. Was it good for Jesus to die the terrible death that was thrust upon Him? From the view I have through my experience that is limited by this world, I would have to answer, absolutely not! But from the perspective of The Father, the suffering Jesus faced was the best, not only for Jesus’ relationship with God, but for the rest of us as well. It isn’t that God balances the greater good when it comes to goodness for our lives. It is simply a matter of Him being the only one who truly knows good from bad when it comes from a perspective based on eternity. Trying to live seeking goodness when we don’t have a complete eternal perspective is what kills the ability for the victor to live a victorious life when bad things come their way.
Please don't think I advocate a lawless and open society. I know how dangerous that would be for us to even consider. We need the ability to determine some level of goodness from the bad that comes our way in every decision we make on a daily basis. What I'm saying is that we were never intended to let our ability to determine good from bad be what influences who we are and how we interact with others in this world. In a perfect world, we wouldn't need to determine good from bad in any way at all. We don't live in that perfect world so we need God's help in showing His perspective on what is good and what might be bad in our daily decisions.
Victim thinking can take over the victor’s life when we try to determine good from bad based on the circumstances we face. That strategy has death written all over it. Victors are most alive when we live in the truth that we are God’s Child and nothing can separate us from the Love of The Father. Victim thinkers bring death into their lives, in their relationships and in their way of thinking, when they lean heavily on their ability to determine good from bad and work to make good be what they have in their lives all the time.
Which tree are you going to live from today? Are you going to die a thousand little deaths as you try to find and live out good in your life? Or, are you going to grab for all the freedom you can in the Tree of Life? Sometime switching from victim thinking to victor living is just a matter of relocating from one tree to another. Victors are meant to live in the tree of life. Stay there today and experience more of the freedom God has for you as His Child.
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