A "Victim-mentality" was NOT the Apostle Paul's M.O. - even when he was being abused

The Apostle Paul urged Christ followers, "Imitate me as I imitate Christ" (1 Cor. 11:1). Let's consider today what that might look like in the wake of being mistreated.

I was reading this morning in Acts 16 when Paul and Silas were thrown into prison in Philippi unjustly. They were beaten with rods and suffered "many blows" (Acts 16:22-23). They were put into stocks (v. 24).

And what do we find Paul and Silas doing after this? Throwing a pity party? Writing letters to his friends to gain sympathy and get them to feel sorry for them?  No. Actually, we find them praying and singing praises to God at midnight? Why in the middle of the night? Because they were unable to sleep while their feet were in stocks and in pain because of the wounds they incurred during the severe beating with rods!

In the middle of this, an earthquake happens and they could have escaped but rather they remain and minister to the Philippian jailer who asks how he can be saved! That very night, they minister to him an his family and baptize them. An interesting comment is that the jailer actually "washed" Paul and Silas' wounds (v. 33) in the middle of all of this.

When the order came in the morning that Paul and Silas are to be released, they refuse to leave "secretly" after having humiliated them and beaten them publicly as Roman citizens. The authorities came and "apologized" (v. 39) and Paul and Silas obviously accepted it and left.

Were they complaining about their rights being violated? About the abuse they had suffered? (and they were severely physically abused). The Philippian jail was definitely not a "safe space" for the Apostle! 

And when they stopped by Lydia's house on their way out of town, was it to throw a big "pity party"?? To talk about all the ways they had been wronged? Not a chance!

Fast forward to today. How would many Christians respond in the same type of circumstances? Would they be 'imitating' Paul's example? 

I can see it now: a Facebook group entitled, "Philippian Jail Abuse Victims Support Group"! Books would be written. Speaking invitations would be flooding in. Not to talk about the amazing things God had done, like an earthquake miracle and the salvation of a Philippian family, but rather to share about all the mistreatment and injustices suffered.

It isn't that Paul wasn't honest about the things he went through (2 Cor. 6:4-5). But he NEVER presented himself as a victim. He was abused. He suffered injustices many times. But somehow he knew that living in a fallen world, meant that things like that would happen. And as a follower of Christ, injustice and mistreatment were to be expected, even promised by Christ Himself! (John 16:33) 

Most importantly, Paul obviously had learned how to get the healing he needed, to access God's grace to forgive those who had wronged him and to move on in victory!

But today, it seems that far too many Christians live their lives crippled by a mentality we don't find in the Apostle Paul. He pressed on (Phil. 3:14) and didn't allow any of that abuse to wipe him out and disable him from fulfilling his destiny and calling. 

Rather he chose to "forget what lies behind" (Phil. 3:13). He wasn't going to live his Christian life with the identity of an abuse victim, even though he was one who had been and continued to be severely abused until the day of his death as a martyr in Rome. 

This post isn't to minimize abuse in any form, but we have to admit we are living in a culture where many people allow their past hurts to become their present identities. Unforgiveness towards those who have wronged us and the resulting bitterness, characterizes the lives of many if not most people (if we are honest).

However, as Christians this should NEVER be the case! We are commanded to live differently. Unforgiveness and bitterness are sins that we need to repent of and get healed from. 

Our identity is one of being NEW CREATIONS IN CHRIST (2 Cor. 5:17): that means we are not "victims". We are in fact "more than conquerers" (Rom. 8:37). 

Maybe we can revisit the life of the Apostle Paul, a man who suffered many types of abuse, even so-called "church abuse". He was lied about. He was slandered. He was misrepresented. He was rejected.

But in spite of all of that, HOW DID HE CHOOSE TO LIVE?  And the question today is, HOW WILL WE?? Will be imitate Paul as he imitated Christ? Or will we follow the poison of our modern culture that glorifies a victim mentality that is arguably one of the most disempowering tools the devil has ever used!