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"God wants the best for me – His desires are for my best."
As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 44.
God wants the best for you and for me. How could He not want the best if we are, in fact, His Children. Unfortunately we tend to think the best means that we will never face trials of any kind. How victimizing it is when bad times hit the Child of God who misunderstands what God’s goodness might look like in their lives.
Here’s what happens when the victor is subjected to badness if their view of what God’s goodness is isn’t seen from the correct perspective. If we have a wrong view of what God’s goodness looks like, when bad times come we tend to let doubts enter into our thinking as to God’s character. We start to see our lives as being separate from who God is in this world. When we are going through bad times, we can believe the whispers of Satan that make us think we aren't important to this God that made us. We can buy into the narrative that God doesn't exist when His existence is questioned because of a set of terrible circumstances in our lives. When that happens, victim thinking can really take over.
When the bad times hit it is critical that our view of God, and of what His goodness looks like, be secure in the victor’s heart. Take a look at this subject in light of today’s Bible reading.
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17 (NIV)
The victor finds courage, stability and peace from the fact that God doesn’t change. He isn’t the “nice god” today that gave you that victory and the “naughty god” tomorrow when that victory seems to elude you. God is the same today, tomorrow and forever.
I think that we forget what an incredible gift the immutability of God really is. The fact that He doesn't change is something we can celebrate in our lives. Good times or bad, God is the same. Victors need to have that locked firmly in their hearts or this world will do an amazing job of getting us to forget the power of who we are.
Fact is that good times as well as bad are destined to be in your future. The victor realizes that their own circumstances have nothing to do with the character and nature of this God they have the right to call “Father.” God’s desire for us is for the best. That doesn’t always translate to getting everything we want when we want it.
Victim thinkers are stuck in a place where their view of God, particularly His goodness, is based on what their lives look like at any given moment. Living that kind of life is such a whip-saw way to live. Victim thinkers are doomed to wildly shifting thoughts about themselves and their God. When times are good, their thoughts on goodness are going one way. When things take a turn for the worse, their thoughts whip them in a completely different direction. Living this way is such an exhausting and counterproductive way as far as my experience has shown me.
What I'm coming into a better understanding is, is that God wants the best for you and for me. He doesn’t want you to be blown about by the shifting winds of change when it comes to your circumstances. He wants you to be just like Him - steadfast and unchanging when it comes to the power that results as the victor lives out His identity as God’s Child.
When you are faced with challenging circumstances hold on to the fact that God is working for His best to be seen in your life. The difference you might feel could be seen in how strong you are able to stand when the gales of life come your way. Don't let how you feel about who you are be based on how well your life is going at the moment. Let God gift you with His best. Be the victor He has called you to be by living in His Goodness no matter what comes at you today.
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