Are You A Victim Or Rebel

When things in your life are going bad, how do you know if you are being mistreated by others or if you are simply refusing to do what you already know God is asking you to do?

I spend a lot of time counseling people who are having a hard time. And yes, some truly are victims. Bad things happen to good people. People get hurt, betrayed, overlooked, and treated wrong. That is real.

But if I am honest, most of the trouble I see, and most of the trouble I create in my own life at times, comes from something else. It comes from not doing what I already know God is asking me to do.

I have been reading Jonah, and I see myself in him more than I would like.

Jonah knew God. He heard God clearly. And God gave him a very direct assignment. Jonah simply did not want to do it God’s way. He did not like the people. He did not like the outcome he suspected would happen. So he ran.

“But Jonah ran away from the Lord and went to Tarshish” (Jonah 1:3 NCV).

Running never made things better. A storm followed him. Fear followed him. Chaos followed him. Jonah ended up in a place he never planned to be, completely out of control and out of options. He was thrown into the sea and swallowed by a great fish. I know it sounds unbelievable.

What really gets me is what happens later. Jonah finally obeys and goes to the town God told him to go to. He preaches. The people repent. They turn to God. And Jonah gets angry.

“But Jonah was very unhappy about this, and he became angry” (Jonah 4:1 NCV).

Jonah wanted justice for these sinful people. He wanted justice when it came to others and grace when it came to himself. I see that in me. I want mercy for my failures and accountability for someone else’s.

The truth is, life really is easier when I desire what God desires. Not easier in the sense that nothing hurts, but easier because I am no longer fighting Him. God does not give instructions to limit us. He gives them because He loves us and knows what is best. His ways are for our own good.

“I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster” (Jeremiah 29:11 NCV).

So I have to stop and ask myself some honest questions. Am I living the way God prescribes? My health. My family. My friendships. My work. My growth. My relationship with Him. Am I loving others the way I want to be loved?

Solomon once said, “Trust the Lord with all your heart, and do not depend on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5 NCV).

This is where the gospel meets me in the middle of Jonah’s story and mine. Here’s the gospel:

Jesus did not run from the Father’s will. He moved toward it. Even when it meant pain, suffering, and death on the cross. Where Jonah resisted, and where I resist, Christ obeyed. He carried my rebellion, my pride, and my running to the cross. His death paid for my sins. His suffering bought my freedom. His resurrection defeated death so I can live forever with Him.

“Christ died for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8 NCV). The truth is, when the Apostle Paul said “we are a slave to sin” - this means we are addicted. We sin so much and we need to be saved from our sin.

And I’m not saved because I always obey. I am saved because Jesus always obeyed. And because of Him, I can stop running and start trusting.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us” (1 John 1:9 NCV).

So maybe it is wise to ask God where I am resisting. I should not blame or make excuses. I need clear steps of obedience and to live out God’s way of living. I need to help others who are struggling instead of avoiding them. I need to remind myself that God’s ways are for my good, not my loss.

Am I a victim in need of healing, or a rebel in need of surrender?

Either way, the answer is the same. Step forward in faith and do the things God is telling me to do. A victim must forgive and walk forward in healthy ways. A rebel, needs to confess, change and seek forgivenss. None of us really wants to run like Jonah. We all should want to submit to God.

LORD, it is an old story, but it is still so relevant today. Help me, and anyone reading this, to trust Your ways. They truly are here to help us, heal us, and lead us to life, now and forever. Thank You Jesus for paying for my sins. Thank You Lord for giving clear instruction on how to live. IJNIP amen ♥️

(The first couple photo of me and Wendy during our rebel years)