A Living Martyr…Me?

      As I was listening to Foxe’s Book of Martyrs today on Audiobooks, a familiar phrase came to my mind.  I use it quite frequently, in jest at times, but seriously for the most part. What?  Living martyrs.

     The older I get, the more people I see who are just that…living martyrs.

     A living martyr…me?  Some may question, but humor me for a while and let me

give you my take on this subject, perhaps from a different perspective.

      Defined by Wikipedia—“A martyr is someone who suffers death for advocating, renouncing, refusing to renounce, or refusing to advocate a belief or cause as demanded by an external party. This refusal to comply with the presented demands results in the punishment or execution of the martyr by the oppressor. Originally applied only to those who suffered for their religious beliefs, the term has come to be used in connection with people imprisoned or killed for espousing a political cause.”

     When we think of martyrs, we immediately think of Stephen, the first documented New Testament Biblical martyr.  Stephen was not a martyr because he was killed.  He was killed because he was a martyr.  He would not relinquish his stance of Christianity, so he was stoned to death.  We see this same scenario continuing to happen especially in God’s country, the Middle East. Countless thousands die for their faith. 

     Now let me give you a perspective of the difference in my thoughts tonight and your concept of a martyr, who dies for a cause.

     Every day somewhere, there’s countless living martyrs, as I call them. They aren’t healthy, they aren’t accomplishing their real purpose in life.  Perhaps you know some; I do. Perhaps you are one; I have been. Let’s be real in this reading…and writing.

     My novel is about to be published and the title of it is Secrets of the Heart.

In its pages, you will find yourself, somewhere, or someone you know, because it speaks of relevant life situations, experiences which aren’t always pleasant, but LIFE nonetheless. 

      The wonderful thing about truth is that it is just that—truth. No farce, no make believe, no superficiality.  It’s raw, it’s real, and it brings healing and peace of heart and mind.  We bring so much upon ourselves many times simply because we won’t be real, truthful, with ourselves.

      Please let me say, as I do most times when I write, this isn’t about anyone in particular. It’s a conglomeration of thoughts from a lifetime (almost 66 years worth now) of experiences, having dealt with many, many people from many and varied walks of life.  So, please don’t think I’m writing about YOU…whoever you are.  As a tee shirt I wear frequently reads, “I am a writer…anything you do or say may be used in a story.”  LOL!!!

      Here’s some examples of the role of being a living martyr. We see ourselves as selfless humans who put others ahead of ourselves, and then pity ourselves when we go unnoticed.

     You see, it’s not hard to be a living martyr, or have what’s known as martyr syndrome, or a martyr complex sufferer.  I never knew there was such a term, until I began to delve into this thought today.

      There are various examples online, if you do some personal research.

     The number one evidence of being a living martyr is the fact that we are, many times, by choice.  We choose to suffer, rather than attempt to fix the problem.  We feel it’s more noble to suffer, rather than confront the issues which could be corrected if a different mindset were initiated.

     One of my favorite reminders to myself is the fact that our choices always have consequences.  We don’t really give our consequences a lot of forethought at the time we make choices, but reality will yield the consequences sooner or later.

     Thus, as a living martyr we usually feel that our sacrifices go unnoticed which causes us to portray a sad, unhappy look.  Or else we will speak highly of ourselves as a person who chose to suffer because of a noble cause. Then in the same breath, we will gladly share with whoever will listen how we’ve gotten the short end of the stick because of our acts of sacrifice.  I see a pity party here…which I have had, and gladly no one showed up but me!  Told you, been there, done that. Honest confession is good for the soul. Ha!Ha!

     We love to fix other people’s problems, but as a living martyr we refuse to allow others to assist, because we have to feel as if we were the sole fixer of the problem.

(Do we see self-esteem issues here?)

     Truly, a living martyr lifestyle is one not to be desired. Whether we be male or female, the possibility of succumbing to it is always out there. 

     If we aren’t careful, we will fall prey, if we fail to pray. This Christian life is not one to be taken lightly.  We don’t “arrive” as we get older.  Sometimes the trek becomes more difficult as we age.  But, we have the promise that if we will endure to the end, we shall be saved.  And this life ain’t all there is.  Eternity waits.

     It is my prayer that none who read this will ever have to be a martyr, of any kind.

     We all have the ability to make choices which will bring us to a higher rung on the ladder of life. 

     So, we must make choices wisely.  Everyone has a purpose in life, God’s plan for each individual.  When we attempt to take our own lives into our own hands, then we thwart the will of God and suffer severe consequences…sometimes for life.

     Choose wisely.  Don’t be a living martyr…or a dead one.  Unless God so deems it to be so.

D. S. Mullis
.2018