It is for your sake that I have borne reproach, that shame has covered my face. I have become a stranger to my kindred, an alien to my mother’s children.” vss. 7-8
Psalm 69:7-10
We don’t know what had taken place in the life of the psalmist, but he’s feeling alienated from his community and his family. It could be that, like Jeremiah, he had offered a prophetic message that was poorly received and was now experiencing a prophet’s reward. At any rate, he believes that he’s been doing what the Lord required of him–in fact he seems to hold God responsible for his misery. Sadly, this isn’t an uncommon feeling among the servants of God–some of us can identify! We’ve done our best to lead a life of integrity and somehow everything has gotten messed up! In our desire to be righteous, we’ve managed through one way or another to offend almost everyone we’ve been close to. Occasionally we even find ourselves to be alienated from our own family members. In those moments, as we cry out to God, we can lapse into a “victim mentality.” It’s a way of blaming everyone else for our feeling of isolation while at the same time claiming innocence for the way things have turned out. That’s a hard stance to take! And if we think relationships are going to be restored while we play the role of victim, we’re mistaken. And the more we act like a victim, the more likely we are to be abused–and none of us want that!
Thought for the Day: How can I stop feeling like a victim?
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