Victim or Agent
While on this journey of transformation, I came across this question: Are we victims or agents of our lives? Am I reactive to the things that come my way because of my past, or am I purposeful in my actions? As I sit here with the Lord, asking these questions, I realize I do not want to be defined by my past or by being a victim. But on the other hand, being a full agent, “we are in danger of becoming harshly insensitive to legitimate pain as people struggle to properly live in the face of sometimes overwhelming hurt” (Crabb, 1997). I have seen at times where I have been insensitive to legitimate pain in others' lives, as well as my own. I have tried to push past the hurt without really healing from it.
On this transformative journey, I have learned about breaking unhealthy soul ties. Not properly healing and letting God work through our past pain, we will be tied to it and cannot fully move forward until we let God work within us. Pushing these soul ties to the side and saying, “What can I do? They are not in my life anymore,” or saying, “I'm fine,” is not fully healing. You are still carrying that weight around. Breaking soul ties requires action. An action of recognition (God, I see that I still have an unhealthy tie to…), repentance, renouncing (saying I am not that person anymore, or I am free from…), recovery, and restoration. Only God can recover you, realign you, and restore you to the joy of His salvation to sustain you. Giving the enemy a foothold in your life by giving into the negative thoughts or not fully healing from past hurts will limit the future God has for you. Through the power of the Lord, we are told to resist the devil and flee. 1 Peter 5:9-10 states, “Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast.” Resist the devil, and the Father of all grace who called YOU, He Himself will restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast. Reclaim your identity. “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” Psalms 51:10.
Though we may truly be victims, we are agents over our lives. Being an agent first and foremost, we are responsible for whether we trust God as a good, good Father and therefore live our lives to glorify Him. But as real pain does happen, we are still responsible for our actions. We are not stuck in our victimhood. We have the strength in God to heal and move past it, but we need to take the steps to heal. 2 Corinthians 12:9 states, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
Recognizing the choices we make to just survive when we do not follow the Lord requires repentance and, therefore, establishes a pattern of returning to God. Giving Him the glory, and we then recognize that God has all the power to heal and restore what is right back to Himself. Therefore, we are free to reflect on the good use of our power as agents and to be purposeful beings, not reactive to our victimhood. Purposefully breaking unhealthy soul ties, the ones that are holding us back from our true calling. Freedom is found in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Are we just reacting, or are we making purposeful choices to better serve God and walk in a stronger relationship with Him?
God bless you on your transformation.
Amanda, Daughter of the King