Ever notice that the folks that typically cry "Why me!?" whenever some little hiccup occurs in their lives are also the ones that usually are hell-bent on getting their pound of flesh, demanding revenge when they've been wronged? Those folks that overcome hardships do very little finger pointing and seldom seek revenge over any real or perceived wrong doing that befell them. They see themselves not as victims but as victors over their circumstances.
Imagine if Christ looked upon the cross, thinking of Himself as a victim rather than a victor over death? On the surface the cross represents violence, pain, suffering, agony, torture and death. Yet as Christians we look at the cross as a great symbol of Christ's victory over death and our reconciliation with God. Where would our faith be if we believed in our hearts that we're victims? There would be no faith. So why do we look at the painful periods of our lives as symbols of defeat? If you're reading this now you've obviously endured at least one hardship in life and here you are standing triumphant over that which would have destroyed you in some way, be it physical, emotional or spiritual. You were knocked to the canvas and got back up. Perhaps you don't really see it that way. Maybe you just see it as once upon a time an incredibly hurtful thing happened to you and that's where your story ends. And because that's where your story ends you perpetuate the notion that you're a victim, that you are the defeated, the conquered and standing over you are all those things you feel have kept you down all your life. You fail to realize that your story still has a dramatic and wonderful finish, one that shows you as the victor over everything that would otherwise destroy you. To come to that realization, to know that you endured, that you survived, is an awe-inspiring gift whose magnificence cannot be measured.
We all have stories to tell. Those people that choose to rise above
adversity do so for their own good because they choose a better life. To them it's not a matter of
comparing their struggles with someone else. There is no degree of
suffering. Suffering is suffering. What might seem like a nightmare to
some is just an annoyance to others. Your pain is your own and it's
YOUR decision on how you intend to deal with it. Comparing and
judging your trials with someone else only means that at this moment in
time you are less concerned about making a better life for yourself and
more concerned about being a victim. Remember life will only change
when your threshold of pain exceeds your willingness to change. If
you're making excuses for your life than you are in fact very
comfortable in the misery you've created for yourself.
You should be able to look back over the battlefields of your life and know that glory is and always has been yours. Look back on those moments and remind yourself that no matter how horrible and tragic those events may have been, you are still here, still standing. All that would have otherwise kept you down now lays before your feet, vanquished by your own personal resolve to rise above it. Even if you don't feel strong, you really are. Life is more gratifying, more rewarding when we've overcome and the ability to overcome exists in all of us. It is truly a matter of choice.
And never forget, "to the victor go the spoils!"
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