Being a victim is centered on not having control over your own body and/or your own thoughts. Victims live in fear. Fear lives in victims. In fact, fear alone can create victims. That’s what we are seeing around us everyday, the use of fear to create an internal state of victimhood. Why? Why, the better to control you with, my dear.

Turns out, everyone wants to control you. Your government, your bank, your boss and yes, even your family. Perhaps, especially your family. Fear is all about control. You can believe me, because if there’s something I know, it’s fear. I was raised in it. Steeped in it’s cloying, love-like scent. Told over and over that I “looked like a victim” and that people would never stop attacking me. Taught that if I did the wrong thing, I would lose my home and my family. So, I know a thing or two about being afraid and obeying nonsensical demands.

The joy of fear-bred victimhood that America embraces so happily, is that, “Golly gee, it’s just not your fault.” It’s someone else’s fault. You didn’t chose to ________________. You were only, “doing what you were told.” Despite the wellspring of fearful obedience around me, I clung tightly to the hope that America could relinquish these unhealthy habits. I, like many Americans, hoped that our leader would not succumb to the same sickness.

As a constitution-loving American, I was very upset when President Trump failed to do the job given to him. As a pessimist, I have long withheld my hope and trust from Donald J. Trump. I gave him my respect, but little else. However, in the desperation of facing true Fascism sweeping over America, I did hang my hope on the theories that the “good guys” would prevail. Obviously, that didn’t pan out.

Fear still rules and of course, in America, there’s always someone to blame. Assigning blame to the most hated and most loved man on TV isn’t hard to do. Assigning blame to any person or group, especially those bold enough to be nationally known, is really, pretty easy; but the problem with this is two fold.

1) Blame is tied to victimhood- the “It’s Not My Fault” syndrome so popular in America today. Fear creates victims and the presence of victims means someone must be at fault, but not the victim. Soooo…. who shall we blame? This Worry Stone, this Velveteen Rabbit, is comfortably smooth and warm in the hearts and minds of nearly every American.

The fear-victim-blame cycle is at the very least unhealthy. At the greatest, it feeds the system we find ourselves trapped in. A system where we are ruled and controlled by fear. That was the point of COVID-19 after all. To control the 300 million Americans through the use of fear. And boy howdy, did that dog fetch.

Fear is power. Thus, blame is power. Just look at what the simple phrase, “Orange man bad” did. (Which is, of course, not in any way racist. 👀👀👀) Blame is, most certainly, power.

2) President Donald J Trump is not, nor was not the savior. The only savior of the world is Christ. Further, expecting one leader to undo the decades of quiet change that have left us with an uneducated, uncaring, self-centered, and even sometimes, downright evil populous, is utterly ridiculous. More importantly, this whole situation and the resulting fall out wherein every conservative is now “required” to live in fear of what the Biden/Harris administration will do to you or your children, negates the power and influence of God.

All of this fear, from Covid, to Nancy Pelosi’s Nuclear War rhetoric, to the Big Tech censorship, to the PBS executive claiming every Trump supporter would see their children locked away in re-education camps, happily skips over the power of God to protect those who willingly dedicate their lives to following him. All this fear, and its cloud of virtue signals, pushes the idea that I can keep myself, my children and others safe through my actions.

Now, of course, I am not suggesting we jump off bridges into traffic to prove that God can keep us safe. Obviously, there are some things you can do, like eating healthy and exercising, to improve the mathematical likelihood of a long life, but these are not guarantees. “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” Matthew 6:27. Though, I like this version better; “And which of you by taking thought, can add to his stature by one cubit?”

‘Taking thought’ is an interesting phrase. One might interpret it as, ‘Who controls your mind?’ What takes your thoughts away from God? Are you letting someone or something else control your mind? Like perhaps the internet, the television or a beloved family member? What or who is hoping to control you through fear? Which then reminds me of this verse;

“The eye is the lamp of the body. If then your eyesight is good, your whole body will be well lighted; 23but if your eyesight is bad, your whole body will be dark. If however the very light within you is darkness, how dense must the darkness be!

24“No man can be the bondservant of two masters; for either he will dislike one and like the other, or he will attach himself to one and think slightingly of the other. You cannot be the bondservants both of God and of gold.” – Matthew 6:22-24

On what subjects do we attach ourselves to? What lights our eyes? Maybe the 75+ maskupnd ads (or ______________________) we come across every day just outweighs the number of Luke 12:22 references we find. Could it perhaps be that we “think slightingly” of focusing on God’s word? Do we intentionally work towards countering every fear based bit of commercialized info with an equal measure of 1 John 4:18 or any portion of the Bible?

Well obviously, I don’t/haven’t. I’ve been sitting at home truly, freaking out. For which, I apologize. I started this thing with a pledge to not be afraid of anymore, especially not afraid of people rejecting me for my beliefs. Which is kinda of silly, since I haven’t used my real name. Instead, I chose the identity that most give me. Still, there are quite a few who know the real me and don’t like it.

This week I confronted the question, ‘Will someone eventually turn me into some governmental authority for not being like everyone else?’ Given the current culture of fear? Probably. Even by hiding what God gave me, I’m still at risk. Things still slip out from time to time. Hiding does not mean I won’t be targeted anyway. (Fascists are not exactly known for being rational.) Also, I have no control over other people. God does though. So, how this all works out for me, my children and my family, is in God’s hands.

Being in God’s hands is more than okay. He is trustworthy. How many bibles did Brother Andrew pack in his VW Bug and drive right into Communist Romania literally under the noses of the anti-Christian guards given the job of keeping Bibles out? How many children did Alyward save, walking across China, sometimes just a few trees away from the soldiers hunting for her and the children who escaped? How many have found Christ through the Pray For Early Rain Church today in China? How many lives did Irene Gut-Opdyke save in Nazi Germany? None of which is to say that I rank with these examples. Merely, that God’s work to turn aside or redirect evil is amazing.

The best I can do, the best any of us can do, is to work to keep our eyes on Christ, pray for and trust in His protection and choose freedom not fear. We need to choose to not bow down at the popular altar of victimhood. We must not obey the irrational and unlawful directions of fear mongers. Why?

Every time we submit or follow along, we broadcast our support of and belief in the things that actually hurt, not help our fellow man, instead of our belief in God.

What do we do now? These things:

1) Place God first in our lives and work to counter the abundance of fear messages with God’s word.

2) Seek the truth before following. This may become increasingly difficult as the truth is censored more every day. However, one might simply take the Reagan-esque stance that if something is being pushed following the mantra, “I’m from the government, I’m here help,” then whatever that thing is, it’s actually not helpful.

3) Get involved. Do not be the good man that allowed evil to prosper because you kept quiet. Do not assume that a nice person or a successful person has the best interest of the future of our country in mind. Pray for our current leaders to wake up and/or grow spines.

4) Teach anyone that you can, most importantly your children and grandchildren.

5) Encourage and support others to do the same.

These five actions might be the best methods we have for bringing about a cultural change in America. Our hope of a future that does not see Orwell, Rand or Huxley as wikiHows, requires that we change. We must move away from fear and the victim mentality. Regardless of how well worn that path is, we (I) have to step out and move towards freedom.