Recently I have been challenged about what it means to defend our faith.  We live in a society that loves to blame shift and one in which being defensive and self absorbed fuels victim mentalities in various ways.  Too often we seek to gather all human resources in an effort to protect and defend our "rights" and wants.  Our humanity also leans towards "looking out for number one" and keeping all cautions and guards up in a world that often indeed can be cruel, dishonest and unfair.

Many times we are taken advantage of and do in fact become unfortunate victims.  Our experiences of being wronged or hurt can make us all the more needy and mistrusting.  Sometimes we even become somewhat dysfunctional as a result of these kind of histories.  Playing the "victim" card becomes a way in which we can manipulate compassion, sympathy, response and even relationships to an extent.  

I believe that God has something much better for us than the temptation to mistrust and become defensive.  Though we must be wise, He asks us to take risks in the name of representing the God we cannot see.  Even relationships that have questionable aspects usually deserve a "3 strikes your out" chance!  Since we are all human and capable of making mistakes and hurting others, we must keep in mind that forgiveness and reconciliation is our responsibility - as believers in a God who first forgave us!

I am learning that defending my faith often means that I am required to love - even my enemies. Rather than to immediately assume the worst and how it adversely affects me, might I instead consider how to be victorious and overcome with His love and mercy?

I must add that allowing abuse is quite a different category, though He enables us by His strength alone to forgive.  It is hard to love those who harm us.  "Love" does not mean to give in to the wishes of those who choose to hurt us, but it does mean we become victors over their wrongful intentions or actions.  We learn to set ourselves free by walking away from their grips and forgiving them as Jesus has forgiven us.   We choose to allow the strength of our conqueror to overwhelmingly triumph in us!  We do not have to give in to bitterness, mistrust and anger, becoming a needy victim.  Instead we let His wings carry us far above the wrongs done us and become better, trusting in His abilities to carry us to freedom.  It is a powerful testimony of our faith when we let Him be our defender.