Survivor: a person who continues to live after an accident, illness, war, etc.

-Merriam-Webster

Unpopular opinion: I hate the word survivor. Yes, I said it, & I’ll tell you exactly why, whatever it is you went through, you should stop calling yourself a survivor.

Hebrew: sarid: survivor: remain, remains, remnant, reserved

Greek: hupoleipo: survivor: to be left behind, left remaining

-Bible Hub App

Whatever it is you’ve been through, I probably have a story of my own to match it- seriously, try me. When people hear my story, they’re often surprised that it comes from a woman my age; they say my story makes me sound older than I am. But, as I look back, not once have I ever thought of or talked about any of the events that have occurred in my life & said “I survived.” No, I overcame it all, & even in the times I was out of fellowship with God, He STILL gave me strength & pulled me through it.

Overcomer: a person who overcomes something: one who succeeds in dealing with or gaining control of some problem or difficulty

-Merriam-Webster

Greek: nikao: overcome: conquer, victorious, prevail, subdue

-Bible Hub

When I see the word survivor, I see a victim mentality attached to it, & that just doesn’t sit right with my spirit. The Word tells us we are a lot of things, but regardless of anything life throws our way, nowhere in the Word does it say that we are victims. What it DOES say, is that we are victorious overcomers.

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

-Romans 8:37, NIV & NLT

For everyone born of God is victorious and overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has conquered and overcome the world—our [continuing, persistent] faith [in Jesus the Son of God]. Who is the one who is victorious and overcomes the world? It is the one who believes and recognizes the fact that Jesus is the Son of God.

– 1 John 5:4-5 AMP

Revelation 12:11 tells us that we are overcomers by the blood of the Lamb & the word of our testimony, & the important thing to understand here, is our testimony is not what we have been brought out of, but what God has brought us into. We are not “survivors”- remaining remnants, whatever is left over of us after the abuse or the illness or addiction or the financial devastation life threw at us. No, we are more than conquerors, victorious overcomers- healthier, wiser, & stronger than we ever were before the negative events came our way, because greater is He that is in us, than he that is in this world.

-Overcoming by Faith & Finding the Blessings, Gerri

Featured Image Photo Cred: @krisroller on Unsplash