Are you a victim or a victor?
It depends on your attitude.
John Maxwell develops 7 axioms for an overcomer in “The Winning Attitude.”
Axiom # 3 declares: “Often our attitude is the only difference between success
and failure.” Maxwell asserts, “This could be called the principle of the
slight edge [over defeat or victory].”
The former Israeli Prime Minister
Golda Meir underlined this truth in one of her interviews. She said, “All my
country has is spirit. We don’t have petroleum dollars. We don’t have mines or
great wealth in the ground. We don’t have the support of a worldwide public
opinion that looks favorably on us. All Israel has is the spirit of its people.
And if the people lose their spirit, even the United States of America cannot save
us.”
When Apostle Paul was under house arrest in Rome, he could
have felt like a victim. Arrested in Jerusalem for preaching grace to the
Gentiles and under a threat of death by the Jews, he appealed to Caesar. Sent
to Rome, he did not see himself as a victim of either the Jews or of the Romans
but rather; he was a “prisoner of Christ Jesus” for the sake of the Gentiles
(Eph 3:1). To the Gentiles he affirmed, “We can go to God with bold confidence
through faith in Christ. So then, I ask you not to become discouraged by the
troubles I suffer for you. In fact, my troubles bring you glory.” (Eph 3: 12,
13 GW)
Paul, the victor kept his
identity in Christ in tact, understood his calling and refused to play the
victim even in unjust circumstances. Let’s be people of the Spirit. Let’s be
victors in Christ!
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