Wednesday, March 18

Victim or Victor?

The story of King David and Mephibosheth is found in 2 Samuel 9. Mephibosheth was the son of David’s good friend Jonathan and the grandson of Saul, the first king of Israel. Mephibosheth was five when his father and grandfather died at Jezreel. At this time he became lame and he had lived nearly his entire life in a crippled condition. David remembered the covenant he had made with his friend and years later went to show kindness to the surviving people of Saul’s house for the sake of Jonathan. When David calls his name, Mephibosheth responds:

“What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I?”

Recently I heard someone ask “do you have a victim mentality or do you have a victor mentality?”

It seems that Mephibosheth’s identity was based entirely on his disability, when he was in reality the grandson of the king. Apparently he had forgotten his royal roots and was wallowing in self sympathy; he was feeling sorry for himself. Yet as David looked past this man’s disability and recognized who he was; he offered Mephibosheth a place at the King’s table.

Have we allowed our problems and troubles to become our identity? Do we spend our time wallowing in self pity, whining and moaning about the daily struggle of life? Our enemy would love for us to keep our attention on our disabilities and inabilities so that we are side-tracked from the calling of God on our lives. The enemy loves, and wants us to have, a “victim mentality”.

As children of the king, we should not lose focus of who we are. Because of Christ and His work we are re-born into a chosen generation and made to be part of a royal priesthood. David offered Mephibosheth a place at his table. Similarly, the King of the Universe has offered us a place at His table. We are heirs of the Father and joint heirs with the Son of the King; He welcomes us to His great throne.

In our Heavenly Father, we do not have a victim mentality, we can have a champion mentality – we are victors not victims. We have been born of God and we have overcome the world and its methods. Press forward in faith; know who you are in Him and take your rightful seat at the King’s Table.