Can we reframe our circumstances?

Years ago I discovered that you can reframe your circumstances by changing the way you think about them. It has taken me years to understand this and I'm still growing on it! In everything, I want to be thankful and appreciative of what life brings to the table. Sometimes it's hard, but it can be done! 

Dominican songwriter writer July Mateo ( Raspiutin) expresses this in his famous Song «Oye (abre tus ojos)» . In this song he brings optimism during a very difficult time in the 80’s and in a very colorful way encourages the listener  to “look” at life with hope and reframe their circumstances by enjoying and being thankful for the “good things” of life. 

The Bible also encourages us to look at our circumstances from a different perspective. Our mindset determines our well being. In her best seller book The Battlefield of the Mind author Joyce Meyer discusses how most of our battles are fought in our mind. This concept has now been studied in the field of Positive psychology  and Neuroscience. Positive psychology teaches how to harness the power of shifting one’s perspective to maximize the potential for happiness in many of our everyday behaviors.  In other words, the way we see our circumstances will frame our outcome. Studies have shown that when people focus on the positive things rather than the negative and “scan” for the good things of life they live a more fulfilled and happy life.  We find this message throughout the pages of the Bible, inviting us to see things from a different perspective. For example, Romans 12:1-2  and Ephesians 4:23 invite us to renew our minds, and Isaiah 55:8 invites us to consider that God’s thoughts are different from ours, while Philippians 4:8 even tell us and list the kind of thoughts patterns we are to pursue daily. 

One way to renew our mindset, reframe our circumstances and receive clarity on how to move forward is through prayer. We can use a simple 3 step prayer strategy to do so. 

            ☑️  We first start by RELEASING or opening our heart before the Lord about the struggle. 

                  Yes, it is important to release so you can receive it!  

            ☑️  Once everything that is in our heart has been released we are ready to RECEIVE an answer 

                  or “look again” at our circumstances through a different set of lenses. In doing so, we 

                 positioned ourselves for clarity and to receive strategies to move forward. 

            ☑️  Once clarity comes we must embrace the change by being thankful and grateful about where

                  we are at and what God has said about our future.  We can do so by celebrating, praising and 

                  rejoicing. This helps his “brain” to REFRAME by connecting with and maintaining this new way

                  of thinking.

I love how  Anne Graham Lotz express this truth “The key to thankfulness is not to view God through the lens of our circumstances, but to view our circumstances through the lens of God’s love and sovereign purpose”

I invite you today to try this exercise and go before the Lord to lay down all the things that are oppressing you and receive peace and joy. RELEASE- RECIEVE- REFRAME 

I think that no matter what we are facing we can find hope and a new perspective if we dare to open our hearts to new possibilities. Let’s dare to be thankful. XOXO~Barb