Are You Better or Bitter?

Recently, A close friend, we'll call him Michael, came to me for wisdom on how to handle a situation that wounded him and left him angry. In this particular matter, Michael was in every sense of the word, a victim. He had done nothing wrong, nor did Michael do anything to provoke such an attack. The more he thought about it, the more wronged he felt. Being a new convert, He didn't know what he was suppose to do with all this anger or rather, what God would have him do.

You see, It produced no benefit to view himself as a victim- as a matter of fact, the victim role he was casting himself in only continued to place power in the hands of the offendors. I shared with Michael the different battles I've had to face, some were of my own doings- others were all out attacks when I had done nothing wrong. Through every battle, in every offense- I had to ask myself, "Am I going to let this make me bitter, or Am I going to grow and be better?" This is where a lot of people get stuck in life- they're victims of an offense and because they were not taught how to come out of it better, they spend the rest of their lives in that one moment....reliving it....victimized over and over again....a month later, still there....5 years later, still the victim...the cycle continues until there is no more life to be lived.

We have all faced situations in which we were the victim, but trust me, no body's sympathies can dig you out. So you were right, they were wrong- does that help? No. The only way out of an offense is to stop being the victim. My montra is, "It's not what happens to you that defines who you are, It's what you DO with what happens to you that defines who you are." The bible says, "God will take anything the enemy meant to harm you and turn it around for your good." "No weapon formed against you shall prosper." "Every tongue that rises against you in judgement, God will show to be in the wrong."

With each offense, we have to go to God and ask what He would have us do. Your focus cannot be on who is right and who is wrong- it leaves no room for growth. Find a deeper meaning, search for God and His ways, His thoughts and you'll be empowered....If you settle for focusing on right and wrong, you'll stay a victim and there is no glory in that...