BREAKING FREE FROM THE PAST #5 Breaking Free From The Victim Mentality
I. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.
John 8:32 "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
Throughout this month I have been focusing on the theme, "Breaking free from the bondages of the past". In this message today I want to continue with that theme, talking about a very important area that many in our society are struggling with, which is "Breaking free from the victim mentality.
Because of the increase of evil in a time when evil is called good and good is called evil we live in an era where there are many victims of the satanic attack and oppression our societies are under. Satan wants to impose a victim mentality upon us because he knows that if we accept it we are rendered useless and ineffective as Christians and present no threat to him or his domain.
Nahum 3:1-4 Woe to the bloody city! It is all full of lies and robbery. Its victim never departs. The noise of a whip and the noise of rattling wheels, of galloping horses, of clattering chariots! Horsemen charge with bright sword and glittering spear. There is a multitude of slain, a great number of bodies, countless corpses; they stumble over the corpses; because of the multitude of harlotries of the seductive harlot, the mistress of sorceries, who sells nations through her harlotries, and families through her sorceries.
We are now living in an era where we see our legal systems unable to cope with the crime and violence that runs rampant in our societies and now we as the citizens are being held hostage to the evil of the day. Our legal system today is in such disarray and chaos that criminals, murderers and others who are involved in violent crimes are going free because they are victims themselves.
We just recently witnessed the results of the Menendez trials in which two separate juries were unable to reach a verdict. Here is a story of two young men who brutally murdered their parents and their whole defense was based on the fact that they were victims of their parents sins. I recently heard of another incident on 60 minutes or one of those shows where they were telling about a story in the Mid-west somewhere of individuals who were being tried for murder and their defense was that they were victims of their environment. There is a new name for it--it's called Urban stress syndrome. This is the world we live in. Where does it stop? Who's going to break the chains of the past?
We all face choices, we can become victims in our thinking by taking on the victim mentality and live in the misery of defeat and shame or we can break free from the victim mentality and be the overcomers that God has called us to be. God has called us to rise above the victim mentality.
Psalms 146:7-8 Who executes justice for the oppressed, Who gives food to the hungry. The LORD gives freedom to the prisoners. The LORD opens the eyes of the blind; The LORD raises those who are bowed down; The LORD loves the righteous.
Galatians 4:3-6 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons...
As Christians we have no business walking in a victim mentality because God has delivered us from it through the power of Jesus Christ. Jesus broke those bondages for us. We do not have to be in bondage to the beggarly elements of the world. If we are to go forth as a conquering army that means each one of us as individuals must walk in the victory that He has given to us.
II. INDICATORS OF A VICTIM MENTALITY.
Maybe you are not sure whether you are walking in a victim mentality or not. I would like to give you some indicators that will help you to be able to discern whether you have fallen into Satan's trap or not. If you have God is there to release you from the snare of the enemy. He will do it!
The illustrations I just shared with you were designed to get your attention to how serious this is in our society, but they are extreme examples of the victim mentality, but there are many who do fall into this category in lesser degrees. Here are some of the indicators and symptoms of victims:
They focus on the past.
They concern themselves with how things should have been.
They are pre-occupied with problems.
They are always blaming someone else for the way they are.
They find themselves helpless.
They feel they have no control over anything.
They feel like pawns in the game of life.
They use the expression "if only" or "what if".
They feel like they are always being picked on.
As you can see, a person who is consumed with any of the above symptoms would have a hard time walking in any sense of victory. A victims mentality does not bring victory. If you maintain a victim's mentality you will remain a victim. God has something better for you than that.
III. KEYS TO BREAKING FREE FROM THE VICTIM MENTALITY.
Psalms 43:1-3 Vindicate me, O God, And plead my cause against an ungodly nation; Oh, deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man! For You are the God of my strength; Why do You cast me off? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? Oh, send out Your light and Your truth! Let them lead me...
We need the truth of God's word to set us free. It is the only thing that will bring the kind of victory that causes us to break free from the bondages of the past. The principles of His word must become the guiding principles of our lives if we are to truly break this bondage. Here are some important keys.
1. We Must Face The Pain & Deal With It.
We must be willing to take a good hard look at our lives and discern how much of a victim we have become and then be willing to see what it was that caused us to fall into the snare. Then we must begin to deal with it by making straight paths for our feet.
Hebrews 12:12-15 Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. Pursue peace with all men, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking diligently lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;
In the process of looking at our wound and pain, we may come to the conclusion that we have some major forgiveness, bitterness and resentment to deal with. This has to be dealt with before the bondage can be broken. This is the first part of the process, because we can't begin to walk in the Lord's forgiveness and victory until we have really forgiven those who have caused us so much pain, agony and conflict.
Mark 11:25-26 "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. "But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."
Once I have cleared up the bitterness and resentment, I must begin to focus on the solution and quit focusing on the problem. The problem with most people is that they spend all their energy focusing on the problem and then there is very little energy left to focus on the solution. This may be difficult and painful but it must be done.
2. We Must Take Responsibility For Our Lives.
Romans 14:12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.
No matter who or what may have caused you to fall into a victim mentality, it is your responsibility to get out of it. You've got to quit blaming and feeling sorry for yourself and take responsibility for your life. Nobody else can do that for you. The prodigal son is an example of a person who fell into the trap of a victim, but his victory was predicated on the fact that he took responsibility full for his actions. He didn't accept the fact that he was a victim. He could have said, "If only the severe famine hadn't come".
Luke 15:17-18 "But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! `I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you...
3. We Must Be Kingdom Focused.
Matthew 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Our focus in life must be on the kingdom of God and our part in it. If I am to break free from the past, I must begin to shift my focus on something much more important that will occupy my mind and thoughts. As I become more kingdom focused I will begin to make the right choices that enact the law of sowing and reaping to bring forth God's blessing and deliverance into my life. Our lives are made up of a series of choices and if those choices were made according to carnal and selfish desires we block the flow of God's blessing and abundance in our lives. On the other hand, if I am making right choices that are in relationship to seeking first the kingdom of God, I am going to release His flow of blessing and abundance into my life through the law of sowing and reaping.
2 Corinthians 9:10 Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
4. We Must Have Clearly Established Goals and Priorities.
Proverbs 21:5 The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, but those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty.
If we don't take control of our lives by establishing goals and priorities, circumstances and others will do it for us.
As I started out saying in this message, we live in a society that is producing victims, but as you can see God has something in store for us that is greater than succumbing to the elements of the world. Let's be diligent and walk in these Godly principles so that we can be victorious in all that we do. God Bless You!
