By Erin Elizabeth Austin
Victim. It’s a word I’ve always hated with a passion. There are many reasons, but the main one being that I have been a victim. After being subjected to sexual abuse as a young girl, my life drastically changed from a vivacious girl to one content hiding behind the pages of a book. This only became more true when I was diagnosed with lupus at the age of seventeen. Life no longer held joy for me. It had beaten me up, kicked me when I was down, and stomped all over my heart. I became a victim of my circumstances.
That’s the thing about becoming a victim. It often sneaks up on you, striking when you’re not looking. It steals your happiness and zest for life and replaces them with lies. Victimization makes you no longer look at life in a positive light. Instead of seeing the glass as half-full, you see the glass as half-empty. “Victory isn’t possible for someone like you,” it whispers. “Bad things happen in life, and they’ll always happen to you. Why even bother?”
Although it’s readily accepted that someone who has survived abuse or trauma is considered a victim, there’s another facet most fail to recognize. People who have been touched by chronic illness, whether they’re the ones sick or they are caregivers, often fall prey to becoming a victim. Merriam-Webster defines a victim as “one that is acted on and usually adversely affected by a force or agent.”[1]
I think my favorite word in the definition is “usually.” People are usually affected in a negative manner when something difficult or tragic occurs, but they don’t have to be. They have a choice. A person gets to decide how he will respond to the circumstances life has thrown his way. Will he admit defeat and simply quit? Will he resign himself to the problems he faces and live each day in the monotony of his problems? Or will he choose a different path? Will he decide that no matter how bad things may get, he won’t be defeated? Will he choose to awake each day and try to live life to the fullest? Will he choose to thrive no matter what?
I know that life isn’t easy. Trust me, I understand! Raped when I was eight-years old, diagnosed with lupus when I was seventeen, fibromyalgia when I was twenty, Crohns when I was twenty-five, forced to quit my job, move in with my parents, spend all my money on medical bills, and nearly dying on four separate occasions, I get that life is hard. Some of us have it harder than others, but we all face problems. There’s nothing we can do about it. It’s simply a fact of life. But what we can do is choose to not be a victim.
Victim. It’s a word I’ve always hated with a passion. There are many reasons, but the main one being that I have been a victim. After being subjected to sexual abuse as a young girl, my life drastically changed from a vivacious girl to one content hiding behind the pages of a book. This only became more true when I was diagnosed with lupus at the age of seventeen. Life no longer held joy for me. It had beaten me up, kicked me when I was down, and stomped all over my heart. I became a victim of my circumstances.
That’s the thing about becoming a victim. It often sneaks up on you, striking when you’re not looking. It steals your happiness and zest for life and replaces them with lies. Victimization makes you no longer look at life in a positive light. Instead of seeing the glass as half-full, you see the glass as half-empty. “Victory isn’t possible for someone like you,” it whispers. “Bad things happen in life, and they’ll always happen to you. Why even bother?”
Although it’s readily accepted that someone who has survived abuse or trauma is considered a victim, there’s another facet most fail to recognize. People who have been touched by chronic illness, whether they’re the ones sick or they are caregivers, often fall prey to becoming a victim. Merriam-Webster defines a victim as “one that is acted on and usually adversely affected by a force or agent.”[1]
I think my favorite word in the definition is “usually.” People are usually affected in a negative manner when something difficult or tragic occurs, but they don’t have to be. They have a choice. A person gets to decide how he will respond to the circumstances life has thrown his way. Will he admit defeat and simply quit? Will he resign himself to the problems he faces and live each day in the monotony of his problems? Or will he choose a different path? Will he decide that no matter how bad things may get, he won’t be defeated? Will he choose to awake each day and try to live life to the fullest? Will he choose to thrive no matter what?
I know that life isn’t easy. Trust me, I understand! Raped when I was eight-years old, diagnosed with lupus when I was seventeen, fibromyalgia when I was twenty, Crohns when I was twenty-five, forced to quit my job, move in with my parents, spend all my money on medical bills, and nearly dying on four separate occasions, I get that life is hard. Some of us have it harder than others, but we all face problems. There’s nothing we can do about it. It’s simply a fact of life. But what we can do is choose to not be a victim.
We can choose to get out of bed every morning and try. We can choose to not allow a diagnosis make us cower in fear. We can choose to believe that God is bigger than our sickness, and He can use the likes of people like us. We can choose to do more with our lives than simply wait to die.
Being a victim is a choice – the easy one. I’m not going to lie; choosing to rise above our problems is one of the hardest decisions a person can make. It requires faith, determination, and a lot of hard work. It means looking at what our lives have become and reminding ourselves that we serve a big God who can do great and mighty things. Sometimes, I’ve even had to speak out loud and remind myself that “God is exalted. Satan is defeated. And Jesus is Lord!”
If you have a relationship with Christ, then you are blessed. As Beth Moore says, “You are Bountifully Loved Extravagantly Saved Supplied Empowered Delivered.” As a son or daughter of the King of kings and Lord of lords you’re promised every spiritual blessing, but that doesn’t happen when you become focused on all the wrong that’s occurred in your life. Being a victim steals so much from you. Don’t miss what you have because you’re focused on what you’ve lost. Don’t miss your blessing!
You are not a victim! Jesus’ death and resurrection is the guarantee. There is absolutely nothing that can defeat you, unless you let it. Your attitude determines what your life will become. No sickness, problem, or trauma can steal your victory as long as you keep your focus on Christ. You are a victor!
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ." ~ Ephesians 1:3
© September 4, 2015
[1] http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/victim
If you have a relationship with Christ, then you are blessed. As Beth Moore says, “You are Bountifully Loved Extravagantly Saved Supplied Empowered Delivered.” As a son or daughter of the King of kings and Lord of lords you’re promised every spiritual blessing, but that doesn’t happen when you become focused on all the wrong that’s occurred in your life. Being a victim steals so much from you. Don’t miss what you have because you’re focused on what you’ve lost. Don’t miss your blessing!
You are not a victim! Jesus’ death and resurrection is the guarantee. There is absolutely nothing that can defeat you, unless you let it. Your attitude determines what your life will become. No sickness, problem, or trauma can steal your victory as long as you keep your focus on Christ. You are a victor!
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ." ~ Ephesians 1:3
© September 4, 2015
[1] http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/victim
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