Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Romans 8:37 (NKJV)
Bad things happen to us for all sorts of reasons. Sometimes we may just be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Other times we may experience pain in life because of the consequences of our poor decisions. We’re only human, so we’re going to make mistakes in life. If it happens, don’t allow yourself to feel condemned. Remember, you are not a failure just because you’ve failed at something.
The poor decisions of the people around us also affect us. When you’ve been affected by another person’s decisions, it’s important that you don’t allow yourself to adopt a victim mentality. You see, when you begin to see yourself as a victim, you hand your power to the person who hurt you.
I’m not saying that we are responsible for what has been done to us. Many times we have absolutely no control over what we suffer. But the good news is, no matter what happens to us, we have the power to make a choice. We do not have to continue to be the victim.
Maintaining a victim mentality going forward is very destructive. If we see ourselves as victims, that identity negatively affects the decisions we make in everyday life. But the reality is, that is not our identity.
It may not feel fair that we have been dealt the cards we have in life, and we may need to grieve for a while. But at some point, despite our feelings, we need to choose to do things God’s way, and then we can begin to heal. We can build again, because we are not victims.
As believers, we are more than conquerors (Romans 8:37), and we are being empowered to create an incredible life with God (John 10:10)!