Suffering means experiencing pain of some sort, physically or mentally.

Being a victim is admitting that your suffering was not meant for you. That it doesn’t serve you and you have no control over it.

The problem with our modern culture is that we confuse suffering with being a victim. We avoid all suffering and quickly embrace victimhood.

Why?

Because if I’m a victim, that’s someone else’s problem. There is nothing I can or need to do about it, I was a victim.

If I’m suffering, I still have a choice. I can choose to continue to suffer, eventually leading to my victimhood, or I can turn my suffering into a strength.

Someone I work with constantly reminds me that our suffering as an individual, company, group, or society results from a strength being unused, misused, overused, or abused.

How many people do you know that suffered from anxiety or depression in the last 3 years?

It didn’t matter what side of the narrative they were on, we can see they suffered.

Why is that? Is that because they were weak and couldn’t handle it?

No, it’s because in general, these people are the most caring people. This is a feminine trait which is highly needed in the world. They care about the whole world so much that they want to
remove that pain of suffering from the world. And that strength and God-given gift of being a caring person were simply not being properly used, which lead to their suffering. Once that person makes the transition from suffering to victim, that’s when it all goes wrong and we witness a tragic ending.

The opposite end of the scale can be just as tragic. If you know someone who is the “I can fix anything” type who is the go-getter and when a problem arises they’re first in line in trying to resolve it. This is usually a masculine trait. What happens to this type when they’re forced to sit this one out? What happens to these people when they watch the world falling apart around them and feel like they can’t do a single thing about it? They suffer. Sometimes it’s depression and anxiety, sometimes it’s anger and frustration. And when they finally embrace victimhood, that’s when it all goes wrong and we witness a tragic ending.

There are many examples of different personality types and talents God has given us that I can get into, but my point is not to examine every scenario other than to explain that we’re meant for suffering.

When we look at our suffering properly we can quickly identify our strengths. Once we identify them, we can then examine ourselves and ask, am I using them properly, or is someone or something trying to use them to victimize me?

The narrative you create is this:

Why am I experiencing this suffering? What is it teaching me about my strengths?

vs

I’m such a victim, I’m so weak, pathetic and stupid.

The Bible has a LOT to say about suffering. Jesus Christ specifically told us about how He would suffer for us, and how we NEED to embrace suffering for Him so that we will receive blessings from Him.

Then He said to the disciples, “The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. And they will say to you, ‘Look here!’ or ‘Look there!’ Do not go after them or follow them. For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day. But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man:

~Luke 17:22-26

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
For by me your days will be multiplied,
And years of life will be added to you.
If you are wise, you are wise for yourself,
And if you scoff, you will bear (“suffer” in some translations) it alone.”

~Proverbs 9:10-12

The Bible also tells us about being a victim. Who always structures the narrative in a way that makes you believe you’re a victim? Satan and demons.

In Genesis, the serpent tells Eve, you’re a victim of God. He doesn’t want you to be like Him. God is victimizing you through oppression.

Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

~Genesis 3:4-5

In Matthew 4 Jesus is led by the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Jesus knew the suffering He was going to face. Far more than you or I could fathom. Satan was offering Him a way out.

Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”

~Matthew 4:8-9

What is Satan saying here? He’s showing the truth. Satan knows he is the god of this world. Jesus said as much in 2 Corinthians 4:4.

How can it be that the son of God should live in a world created by God that God has given authority over to a fallen angel? Why would Jesus need to suffer so much for a world that denies Him? Satan is pretty much telling Him, you don’t need to be a victim. You can bypass this whole thing, not be a victim of God’s plan, and you can have it all now if you just worship me instead.

And yet, Jesus Christ chose to suffer rather than be a victim.

Not for His sake, but for yours and mine. He had to suffer in order to save the world from sin.

Stop and think about that for a minute. Just take a deep breath and try and wrap your head around this.

Your suffering isn’t about you finding your strength so that you may walk away the victor. It’s about finding strength in Jesus Christ so that you may serve Him and His mission for you.

When you suffer enough to find your God-given strength, and then use that for your God-given mission, the impact that has on the world is endless. That pretty much sums up every story in the bible.

All of the people we read about in the bible suffered in some form or another. Each one had to make the decision. Do they suffer for Christ, or become a victim of the devil? We can see what happens to those who chose victimhood over suffering.

Now let’s take a quick minute and look around us. Take a look at the people around you and ask, who’s trying to make you a victim?

Are they in your house? Your family? Your community? Your country? The world?

Think about the narratives of BLM, LGBTQXYZ+, Feminism, Satanism, Plandemic propaganda, etc.

They don’t tell these people they’re “suffering”. They tell them they’re victims. They’re a victim of injustice towards them. It’s wrong and we (the government) are going to fix it for you. And what happens when the government fails to deliver and these people embraced their victimhood from their false gods? That’s when it all goes wrong and we witness a tragic ending. Just like when Adam and Eve fell for the victimhood lie of the serpent and sin entered the world.

Today. You have a choice.

Are you a victim? Are you willing to keep going along with the lies the devil tells you about your victimhood?

Or, are you willing to follow Jesus Christ in His suffering? God knew the only way to save the world of sin, was to come as God in the flesh as man, and suffer with and for us so that you don’t need to be a victim of the devil.