You Are Not a Victim

YOU are not a victim, and you can stop believing you are one! If you have been feeling victimized, you may also have been believing you are powerless. A victim is usually regarded as someone who suffers harsh or oppressive treatment. If you cannot see a way out, well, there is one nevertheless. A good time to start proving this is now, today.

Among the first things we learn about ourselves in the Bible is that God made man in His image and likeness, and gave him dominion over the whole earth. So it's clear God did not make either victims or perpetrators. He enables everyone to behave with kindness. We have authority from God for viewing ourselves as strong and powerful and in control of our lives.

It is fear that makes people victims; so ending fear is important. Some of us want to please other people, but we should really want to please God first.

If you are often saying ''yes'' to people because you are afraid to say ''no'' to them, you are not in control. Now, we cannot behave with dominion and at the same time remain victims. The two states are mutually exclusive. So it comes down to choices: what will we believe? how will we behave?

Mary Baker Eddy, who discovered Christian Science, explained Christ Jesus' teachings in her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. One of the things she wrote was this: ''God has endowed man with inalienable rights, among which are self-government, reason, and conscience. Man is properly self-governed only when he is guided rightly and governed by his Maker, divine Truth and Love'' (p. 106). God is omnipotent, omnipresent, the only power. You can pray to Him and ask Him to guide you by giving you an understanding of truth.

In the light of Christian Science, let's consider some of the truths from God Jesus referred to when he said, ''Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free'' (John 8:32). For a start, we are God's children. Also, we have an unbreakable, spiritual relationship to Him. Who can limit or take away what God gives? He gives health, peace, supply, happiness, and success. Nothing has power over you to deprive you of these things. Not fear of popular opinion, or lack, or domineering people, or social customs. Understanding that you have dominion-and the right to exercise it-can extricate you from whatever predicament you face. You can exercise that right and stop being afraid. After you understand what is spiritually true, you can declare that you have dominion and act like you have it.

Let God begin to direct your thoughts. Listen to the voice of Truth within. It will comfort you and bring your thoughts into line with God. Then you will know what you need to know in any given situation. This is the truth that makes free. It helps one cling to God in the face of opposition. It stops us from believing that circumstances or other people are to blame for our problems. God is our best friend, and He delivers us, giving us the right to be masters of our circumstances. This dominion comes from God alone.

There's a passage on page 340 of Science and Health that talks about just how powerful God is. As far as victimization goes, it pretty much covers the entire ground. It's this: ''One infinite God, good, unifies men and nations; constitutes the brotherhood of man; ends wars; fulfils the Scripture, 'Love thy neighbor as thyself;' annihilates pagan and Christian idolatry,-whatever is wrong in social, civil, criminal, political, and religious codes; equalizes the sexes; annuls the curse on man, and leaves nothing that can sin, suffer, be punished or destroyed.''

I will sing of thy power;

yea, I will sing aloud

of thy mercy in the morning:

for thou hast been my

defence and refuge in the day

of my trouble. Unto thee,

O my strength, will I sing:

for God is my defence, and

the God of my mercy.

Psalms 59:16, 17