Decoding the Mystery of the Victorious Victim

Do we define faith by the size of our trophy cabinets?

Photo by Ariel on Unsplash

Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy. 2 Kings 5:1 (NIV)

How many of us have stories that read like this? You have skills that people celebrate however there’s that big “but” you’ve survived with for so long. Why God has blessed you everywhere else except there? You’ve performed feats that rocked social media but the “but” doesn’t seem to go anywhere. Such is the life of the victorious victim.

You believe in God and you trust in Him. Your prayers for your finances move mountains. You pray for your children and before the words leave your mouth you start seeing signs of change. Things are good but you have a secret life where you’re constantly on your knees asking God for a miracle.

I can try to find the theology to explain why this is the case. But though all explanations may seem futile to the victorious victim, God is still God. For every victory you experience, there’s one more reason to hope for a miracle in the sphere of victimhood.

So what is faith in light of this?