Victimless Crime

This is a phrase that some use sometime for certain types of "white collar" crime. When somebody embezzles money from a big company or that sort of thing. They call this a victimless crime since there isn't a specific person who is targeted or obviously hurt by the persons actions. Of course, you could argue that that sort of crime actually creates more victims as it impacts many employees, or consumers, insurance rates, etc. This is not my point, however. This morning we talked about being victims. Victim is a choice. Bad things can happen to people, either through circumstances or through the deeds of others. These things can cause hardship, hurt, all those things. Your reaction is the key though as you choose whether to be victim. Joseph had been sold into slavery and then thrown into prison on false charges for years yet sees that God has put him on that path and later reassures his brothers, his victimizers, not to feel bad, because "you meant it for evil but God meant it for good." This isn't even merely the idea of "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade". Instead, this is the realization that if you are right with God, those lemons that the world thought it gave you were ALREADY lemonade in God's plan. You cannot be a victim if you are in God's hand. Of course, if you are not living in submission to Him. If you are acting outside of His word and His will, then good luck because you have no guarantees. But in God's hand, you never have to be a victim, no matter how bad things go or what evil others design against you.