Victim - Hero - Precious Child

When I'm hurting, I like to act the victim - blaming the people around me for the surrounding mess. It means:

• I'm not responsible for anything that goes on in my life
• I can depend on others to make everything feel better
• I can excuse pretty much any behaviour I want and dodge the call to forgive
• I've got a whole list of reasons setting out why it's all too difficult for me to change right now

When I'm hurting, I like to act the hero - pretending I can soar through the pain unaffected. It means:

• I have complete control and can live in self-protective isolation
• I don't have to show anyone what's really going on in my heart
• I can live in denial of injustice and dodge the call to forgive
• I can force myself to become whoever I want to be - for a while at least - without any need to involve God

When I'm hurting, I like to live up to my calling as a precious child of God. It means:

• I will weep at the sin that has been inflicted on me and take responsibility for the sin that I have inflicted on others
• I will willingly receive comfort from God and my church family and use my experiences to comfort others in need
• I will run to the foot of the cross and there find the grace that I need for myself and those around me
• I will change in the power of Spirit, encouraged by my Christian friends, and become ever more like Jesus

Who would you like to be today?