VICTIM OR VICTOR ?
We all began our lives in circumstances over which we had no control. Some are fortunate in that they were born into a most favourable situation. They were raised with such qualities as love, truth, justice, kindness and compassion. God’s Word was loved, taught and obeyed and a fine example of consistent Christian living provided. Prayer was the native atmosphere of the home. There was no lack materially, although material things were seen in their right perspective. They were taught that people and spiritual values were more important than possessions.
However, some were not so fortunate. They may have experienced degrees of poverty, shame or violence, without enjoying the security of parental care and love. Spiritual values were not taught. Raised, perhaps, in an atmosphere of greed, the desire for possessions became insatiable. The question is, must one be controlled by an adverse past, or is there a way to rise above it?
People sometimes surrender to an unfortunate environment. They think, ‘If only I had been born somewhere else, had different parents, more money or greater opportunities, life would now be so different’. If such is the case, we need to understand that, while our human parents gave us life, there is a spiritual life, a totally new nature and outlook that we may have as a gift from God (John 3:16, 2 Cor. 5:17, 2 Peter 1:3-4). We cannot control the way the generations before us reacted to God, but we can control the way we respond to Him “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV).
Scripture tells us of bad men who had good sons, good men who had bad sons, bad men who had bad sons and good men who had good sons, which simply proves that, regardless of our backgrounds, our destinies are largely in our own hands. We probably all know of men and women who, despite most unfavourable backgrounds, have had an encounter with the Lord Jesus and have been changed into Christlike characters, achieving wonderful things for God. The gospel of Christ crucified has power to change the worst of sinners into saintly people (1 Tim. 1:15). Sadly, we may know of others who have had the high privilege of a godly background, but have not followed the God of their parents.
Here are two Bible characters who illustrate this principle. Ruth had a background of idolatry. Raised in the pagan country of Moab, where the true God was largely unknown, she married one of godly Naomi’s sons. Later, she made the life changing decision that Naomi’s God would be her God (Ruth 1:16). That momentous decision affected not only her own destiny, but that of the generations to come (Matthew 1:5).
Then we have the story of good King Hezekiah. His father, King Ahaz, gave no example of whatever of godly conduct to his son, rather the reverse. Ahaz was an idolater of the worst type, even burning his children in the fire in accordance with heathen practice. We read how he “encouraged moral declension in Judah and had been continually unfaithful to the Lord” (2 Chron. 28:19). Against this sordid background, Hezekiah came to the throne at 25 years of age and immediately set about calling the nation back to God and abolishing idolatry (2 Chron. 30:8,12).
In 2 Chronicles 31:20,21 we have this delightful tribute to Hezekiah’s life and influence: “Thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and true before the Lord his God. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So he prospered”.
What do Ruth and Hezekiah have to teach us? We learn that no inheritance of evil need mean our eternal loss. We need not be the victims of an ungodly background. There is a loving God who is able to make us “more than conquerors”. We can be victors; we need not be victims. To choose to trust and follow Jesus is to choose life at its best, not only for ourselves, but also to provide a heritage that may continue for generations to come. The past need not determine our future. Hallelujah!
This article was written by Pastor Geoffrey Davies. He is a frequent contributor to this column. He lives in Melbourne, Australia, where he pastored a church for over twenty-five years. Since 1983 he has travelled widely, continuing his ministry of encouragement and Bible teaching.
