Moving From Victim To Victor

Moving from Victim to Victor

Psalms 18:1-5 1 I will love thee, O LORD, my strength. 2 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. 3 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. 4 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. 5 The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.

Roadrunner v. Wiley Coyote

1. Wiley had the best-laid plans. He invested in the most up to date gadgets in order that he might win the battle.

2. Yet the best-laid plans always backfired on poor ole coyote.

Now just for a moment lets parallel the life of coyote with our own.

1. The battle was not only a physical headache but a mental headache…Keep in mind Coyote dealt with defeat everyday and sometimes several times everyday and that tends to play on ones mind and its in the mind that most of our battles rage. I can identify.

2. Coyote tried to handle things on his own. No matter how many times he failed he still depended on his wit and will to win the battle. Now we don’t know but perhaps there were other coyotes (they run in a pack you know) perhaps other coyotes tried to reason with Wiley and tell him to seek help. But Coyote was far to proud to seek help this was his battle and he would win it on his own. I can identify.

3. I am sure in the beginning ole Coyote thought this was no big battle. He had probably caught many birds before and this was just another day and just another bird. I can identify.

The no big battle theory does nothing but add confidence in our own strength.

The bad news is we can identify the good news is there is a better way.

The good news is there’s a way to turn your mourning into dancing and your sorrow into joy and there is a way to move from the victim to the victor.

First lets look at David the Victim.

4 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. 5 The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.

No matter how you slice it David was as my dad used to say in a “heap of trouble”

Now we don’t have much problem admitting the victim part. In today’s society everybody is a victim…either a victim of somebody else’s doing or a victim of our own doing but never the less society doesn’t have a problem admitting they’re a victim.

But David did not just play the victim role, David decided that he would much rather be the victor than the victim.

Now if you like the victim role and there are plenty of people who do then this message is not for you. This message is for those who are tired of fighting a losing battle and want to move from victim to victor.

The key to my entire sermon is found in verse 6.

6 In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God.

Two keys tonight from moving from victim to victor first there must be a confession of weakness.

David when finding himself in distress. David when finding himself in a battle. David when finding his mind being attacked with doubt and defeat.

Admits he is weak and cannot defeat the enemy. Now we do not see that statement of weakness word for word but I will show you that he is declaring his weakness in a few moments but I want us to realize tonight the first step in moving from Victim to Victor is to admit our weakness.

Why must we admit our weakness because only when we confess our weakness are we able to possess His strength.

2 Cor. 12:9

9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Notice the turnaround.

Verse 9 said His strength is made perfect (complete). His strength is made complete in my weakness.

I like to say it this way…I CONFESS my weakness that I might POSESS His strength.

The reason why a lot of US never move from victim to victor is because we refuse to admit our weakness. We are back to the Coyote syndrome of I can handle things on my own.