Not a victim
For if I am an offender, or have committed anything deserving of death, I do not object to dying; but if there is nothing in these things of which these men accuse me, no one can deliver me to them. I appeal to Caesar.” ~ Acts 25:11
For years I have read the letters Paul wrote to the churches in the New Testament. Often, he began by mentioning that he was a prisoner or in chains. He briefly acknowledged his location or the circumstances he was facing, but he never took on a victim mentality. He could have, but instead he maintained his focus and determined that he would complete his mission no matter what pressures came against him.
Today’s reading in Acts 25 shows that same resolve. After Paul had been kept at the palace for two years, a new procurator named Festus took over. He did not know Paul or the history Felix had with him. Festus immediately went to Jerusalem to meet with the high priest before settling into his role in Caesarea. When he returned, he brought the Jewish leaders with him to present their accusations again. Paul could have complained and said that he was only trying to serve God, yet everything around him seemed to be blocking his progress.
Instead, Paul made a decisive choice. He was offered the option to return to Jerusalem for another hearing, but Paul took control and appealed directly to Caesar. As a Roman citizen, he knew that once he made that appeal, no one could interfere until he stood before Caesar himself. Jesus had already told him on the road to Damascus that he would testify before kings, so Paul recognized that this was his pathway to Rome and the fulfillment of his mission.
How many times in life do I allow my circumstances to limit what God wants to do through me? How often do I slip into a victim mindset when challenges rise around me? When the pressures build, do I focus on the One who holds my future, or do I sit down and let the winds push me off course? The only way to stay on mission is to know the mission ahead of time. Knowing God’s plan and listening to His Spirit is the only way to keep from slipping into a victim mindset. Paul remains a powerful example of someone who stayed focused no matter what came against him.
Here are some ways you can stand when circumstances try to knock you off your mission:
- Ask God to show you the mission or assignment He has placed in front of you right now.
- Identify one area where circumstances have made you feel powerless, then give that situation to God.
- Choose one step today that moves you toward obedience, even if it feels small.
- Remind yourself of God’s promises when challenges rise, and speak those promises out loud.
Start by scheduling a few quiet minutes today and ask God to reveal the next step He wants you to take. Write down the areas where you have felt like a victim and surrender each one to Him in prayer. Ask God to help you hear His direction clearly as you make decisions. Take one faith step today that shows you trust His leadership in your life.
Today I want to encourage you to lift your eyes above the pressures around you and choose to follow God’s direction with confidence. He has a path for you, and as you stay close to Him, you will not be drawn off course by every obstacle or distraction. He will replace every trace of a victim mindset with purpose, strength, and peace as you walk out the plan He has prepared for you.
Today’s scripture reading: Acts 25:1-12
1 Now when Festus had come to the province, after three days he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem.
2 Then the high priest and the chief men of the Jews informed him against Paul; and they petitioned him,
3 asking a favor against him, that he would summon him to Jerusalem—while they lay in ambush along the road to kill him.
4 But Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself was going there shortly.
5 “Therefore,” he said, “let those who have authority among you go down with me and accuse this man, to see if there is any fault in him.”
6 And when he had remained among them more than ten days, he went down to Caesarea. And the next day, sitting on the judgment seat, he commanded Paul to be brought.
7 When he had come, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood about and laid many serious complaints against Paul, which they could not prove,
8 while he answered for himself, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I offended in anything at all.”
9 But Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and there be judged before me concerning these things?”
10 So Paul said, “I stand at Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you very well know.
11 For if I am an offender, or have committed anything deserving of death, I do not object to dying; but if there is nothing in these things of which these men accuse me, no one can deliver me to them. I appeal to Caesar.”
12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, “You have appealed to Caesar? To Caesar you shall go!”
Journal:
- In what area of my life have I been tempted to take on a victim mindset?
- What step is God asking me to take that will move me closer to His purpose?
- What outside pressure has been distracting me, and how can I place it in God’s hands today?
- How has God guided me in past seasons when challenges felt overwhelming?
The Daily Dose 