2 tools to help us FILTER AND REFRAME:
1) Thank God:for what happened AND for what didn’t happen.
"give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." -1 Thess. 5:18
In a culture with so much negativity, complaint, critique, criticism and whining - it is so easy to fall into RHYTHM and practice of our world — with what we hear and see demonstrated all around us — WE ALL CAN GRIPE FIRST instead of BE THANKFUL FIRST AND FOREMOST!
But we must also learn to thank God for what didn’t happen…
MAYBE WE NEED TO GO BACK AND REWRITE THE NARRATIVE WE HAVE BEEN TELLING OURSELVES.
We are wise when we trust that he is working even when we aren’t aware of it.
We are also wise when we trust the way he’s working, even when it isn’t the way we want. (See Isaiah 55:8-9)
**truth is: You find what you are looking for
2) Look for God’s goodness!
You may have challenges that you’re facing - that are legit and very real!
You might have situations that are difficult and you’ve got a lot of questions.
But friends - God is always at work around you and you’ll see it when you look for it.
example: 2 birds: Vultures and Hummingbirds (both find what they're looking for)
Cognitive reframing is empowering you (and Jesus) to determine the meaning of a situation or past circumstance.
When we reframe what happened in our yesterdays, that changes our todays.
Takeaway Truth:
YOU CANNOT CONTROL WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU,
BUT YOU CAN CONTROL HOW YOU FRAME IT.