Perspective struggles are easy to come by in chronic illness and disability. One common struggle is the victim vs victor mentality.

It is so easy to sink into the “victim” mentality. Poor me. This is all happening to me and there is nothing I can do about it. I am powerless to change any of this. I am a victim.

Good news. You are not your suffering. You may be going through suffering, but you are not your suffering.

When we trust God repent and accept God’s gift of salvation, we have God’s strength. We have Jesus. We are children of God. We are not helpless. We are victors through Christ.

While we will go through suffering, we do not

Consider these Scriptures:

• Romans 8:28-29, “²⁸ And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. ²⁹ For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
• Psalm 98:1, “98 O sing unto the Lord a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.”
• Isaiah 25:8, “⁸ He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it.”
• Matthew 12:20, “²⁰ A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.”
• 1 Corinthians 15:54-57, “⁵⁴ So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. ⁵⁵ O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? ⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
• 1 John 5:4, “⁴ For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”
• 2 Corinthians 12:8-10, “⁸ For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. ⁹ And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ¹⁰ Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

Victim or Victor? Which perspective will we choose (only with God’s help) today?