NOT A VICTIM BLOG POST #1
“Be serious! Be alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. Resist him and be firm in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world.”
1 Peter 5:8-9 HCSB
I’ve been encouraged by the Holy Spirit to blog about yet another subject. A subject that is close to my heart, sensitive, and personal and private. This may not seem that big of a deal to some of you, but believe me when I say, I feel like I’m stepping out into the red sea. I am actually working on a book on this subject, and recently felt nudged to write a blog. It’s a tough subject, but I think its more common than any of us realize. I’ve shared a verse that warns against it. 1 Peter 5: 8-9. And the last part of this verse is precisely why I’m sharing my writing about it. If the Holy Spirit is convicting me to share my story, then there’s somebody out there that it will help. “…Knowing that the same sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world.”
The name of this blog, Not a Victim, is also the name of the book I’m working on. I’m not sure when it will be ready for publication. I’m working on gathering my thoughts, researching, working on a genre, and mostly praying about the whole process.
Not a Victim is about relationships, about reacting, forgiving, loving, faith, and giving control to the Holy Spirit.
“Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to slander no one, to avoid fighting, and to be kind, always showing gentleness to all people. For we too were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved by various passions and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, detesting one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us — not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to His mercy — through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”
While research is very important, even more important is our daily devotions. This scripture randomly came up in my daily devotion. (I say random flippantly, God is a lot of things, random is not one of them.) It was like a slap in the face. My dilemma and question with a narcissistic personality type is how to talk to one without an attitude, without snapping back, yet without being walked all over and being used and humiliated. This scripture is the light to that answer. We are to turn the other cheek. Love our enemies. And when faced with a close family member that has this personality type, well I think you can see the dilemma.
Every day I continue learning something new. Or continue to learn the same thing until I learn it. Today I did learn that I tend to react to people, to the narcissistic type personality. No matter how hard I try, no matter how prepared I am, I react rather than respond. If I can learn to listen to the person, think what they are really saying (or not saying), pray for the Holy Spirit to fill me with wisdom, and respond with the Holy Spirits response, not mine, I think half the battle will be won.
So, lesson learned today…
• Listen
• Think
• Pray
• Respond
Does anybody want to step up to the challenge of learning something new today? What bible scripture have you read that speaks to you directly today? What lesson have you learned from a life experience today?
I’d love to hear!!