Still a victim?

Justice Clarence Thomas has been all over the news in recent days as he promotes his book, My Grandfather's Son. This man, born into poverty in Georgia, abandoned by his father, and sent to live with his grandfather, has little time for those who make their disadvantages an excuse for poor performance. He credits the tough love of his grandfather for pushing him to stand up to the racism that he experienced, for teaching him the importance of hard work, and for showing him how to take responsibility for himself.

In his interviews, Justice Thomas is brutally honest about the difficulties of being a black man - from being warned 'not to look a white woman in the eye,' when he was a teenager, to not being able to find a job after graduating from Yale Law since many assumed his degree was not worth the same as that of a white man because of affirmative action policies in place at the time. In fact Justice Thomas calls that degree the Fifteen Cent degree, for that is what others thought it was worth back then! Now, a 60 year old man who sits at the top of judicial authority in America, he enjoys a unique credibility in what he says about overcoming the challenges of life.

So, here's a question - are you using the challenges that come your way as an excuse for failure?
Here's another - are you thinking like a victim, thinking that someone else should rescue you from your situation?

As a Believer, there is no reason for being victims of life, no excuse for remaining in a cycle of defeat! The Gospel of Christ is a powerful message of hope and empowerment! Listen to what the Word says, "... because of his glory and excellence, he (Jesus) has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone." (2 Peter 1:4-7, NLT) Read that passage again.

It is a mistake to think that we can save ourselves from sin, but it is also a mistake to wait for God to do all the work of change for us, too. Peter is clear that there are choices to be made, hard work to be done. "Make every effort," he urges. Choose to live right. Exercise self-restraint. Endure long hard days with steady faith. Love when others are hateful. And He reminds us that all this is possible because Christ Jesus broke the power of oppression over us.

I thought of the spiritual parallels as Justice Thomas was being interviewed. A hundred years earlier in American history, he couldn't have become who he is because of an ugly institution called slavery. He would not even have had the opportunity. He would have been considered the property of another and his options would have been limited by the choices of another. But from a great conflict, bloody and costly, came freedom. Thomas was born into a disadvantaged situation, but he had freedom.

It is much the same for you and for me. Without Christ Jesus and the Cross, we are born slaves, owned by sin, and without hope of being truly righteous. But, at great cost, God intervened and gave us freedom from the grasp of the Evil one. Given that opportunity and the Spirit to live in us, we can become 'more than conquerors.'

Only God knows how much Justice Thomas' desperate situation in his formative years contributed to his powerful drive to succeed. If he had been born into more comfortable situations, and almost certainly if he had not had a grandfather who exercised a powerful influence over him as a young boy, Thomas would have grown up in obscurity, perhaps with nothing of merit about his life. But, he took those things that tried to break him and turned them into motivation to make a difference on behalf of others who face oppression! Nothing in wasted in God's hands, dear friend. We give Him our broken hearts, our disappointments, our personality flaws; yes, even our sinfulness - and He uses those things to make us 'sons of glory' who show what results when ordinary people experience the incredibly amazing power of the Spirit.

Here's a Gospel story to ponder. One day while Jesus was teaching, the house was filled with listeners. A needy man, paralyzed on a mat, could not get to him for healing, so his friends took him to the roof, cut a hole and lowered him to Jesus! Jesus spoke to the man, but with a curious statement - "your sins are forgiven." What? He needs to be healed, doesn't he? Yes, but his greater need was to be freed from guilt and slavery!
Then Jesus offers him a chance to obey. He now spoke directly to the paraplegic: "Get up. Take your bedroll and go home." (Luke 5:24, The Message) That man faced a moment of decision - would he believe and walk, or look at the circumstances as they were and remain as he was? "Without a moment’s hesitation, he did it—got up, took his blanket, and left for home, giving glory to God all the way." (Luke 5:25, The Message)

Jesus says the same two things to us, dear Believer.
First, He says, "Your sins are forgiven. You're now free to change, free to live, empowered."

Then, He says, "Get up and get going!" And the choice is ours.

Are you still a victim?
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Once like a bird in prison I dwelt,
no freedom from my sorrow I felt,
But Jesus came and listened to me,
and, "Glory to God!"
He set me free!

He set me free,
Yes, He set me free.
He broke the bonds of prison for me,
I'm glory-bound, my Jesus to see.
For - "Glory to God!"
He set me free.

- Alfred BrumleyBrentwood Music