Skip to main content

Devotional: Life Matters, Series 7 Part 5

 LIFE MATTERS DISCUSS, SERIES 7 PART 5


TOPIC: WINNING THE WAR IN YOUR MIND 5

BIBLE REF: Romans 12:1-2, Philippians 1:12-14, 20-27


You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control how you frame it.

The GOAT (greatest of all time) of reframing was the apostle Paul. Paul had a strategic plan for advancing the gospel—go to Rome.

If he could get to Rome and preach Jesus to the leaders there, the city could become a launchpad to spread the gospel all over the world.


When Paul finally got to Rome, it was not to share Jesus with government officials. He went there as a prisoner. He was locked up under house arrest, chained to a rotating contingent of guards, awaiting a possible execution. Paul prayed for an opportunity, but it was not happening.

Paul’s circumstances were out of his control. Circumstances are almost always out of our control.


You’ve been where Paul was.

You thought, If I just get this degree, I will get that job. You got the degree, but you did not get the job. You planned on being married by now, but you have not found Mr. or Mrs. Right. Or you did find and marry the right person, but everything went wrong. This is not the way life was supposed to go. You’ve been praying for years for your prodigal child, but God has not answered that prayer.

Paul was in that same situation—circumstances he did not want and could not control. He wrote to the church at Philippi about what was happening to him. What might he have said? 


He could have written, “Now, I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me really sucks. I wanted to spread the good news through preaching to government officials, but that did not happen. As a result of this hell I’ve been through, I have decided prayer doesn’t work, and I am never going back to church again.”


But that is not what Paul wrote. Could have been, but no. Remember, Paul couldn’t control what happened to him, but he could control how he framed it. Here’s what he actually wrote to the Philippians:


I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear. Philippians 1:12–14 NLT

Paul was saying, “I had a plan, but God had a better plan! This is a whole different way to advance the gospel than what I was thinking. God has blessed me with prison guards who are chained to me. They have no choice but to listen to me tell them about Jesus! These soldiers have the ear of influential leaders! And, get this, every eight hours they chain a new guard to me! And they think I’m the prisoner. Ha! God is moving. I can’t wait to see what He does next!”


You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control how you frame it. That’s why the third tool to change your thinking is the *Reframe Principle:* Reframe your mind, restore your perspective. 


... Please Catch Up The Continuation tomorrow by God's grace



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Marriage Series 7: What Does The Bible Say About Divorce and Remarriage?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE? First of all, no matter what view one takes on the issue of divorce, it is important to remember Malachi 2:16, “I hate divorce, says the LORD God of Israel.” According to the Bible, marriage is a lifetime commitment. “So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate” (Matthew 19:6). God realizes, though, that, since marriages involve two sinful human beings, divorces are going to occur. In the Old Testament, He laid down some laws in order to protect the rights of divorcées, especially women ( Deuteronomy 24:1–4).  Jesus pointed out that these laws were given because of the hardness of people’s hearts, not because such laws were God’s desire (Matthew 19:8). The controversy over whether divorce and remarriage is allowed according to the Bible revolves primarily around Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:32 and 19:9 . The phrase “ except for marital unfaithfulness” is the only thing in Script...
Post a Comment
Read more

LIFE MATTERS SERIES - A THANKFUL HEART S57E01

TOPIC: HABITS OF A THANKFUL HEART KEY BIBLE VERSE: Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, take pleasure in Him]; again I will say, rejoice! Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God. And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours]. Philippians 4:4‭, ‬6‭-‬7 AMP The Habits of Highly Thankful People Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! (Philippians 4:4) The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People has sold over 15 million copies. The book promises that if readers adopt these habits they will experience “powerful . . . personal change.” It’s nearly Thanksgiving in the United States. For some of us, the holidays are a favorite time of year. But for those who are experiencing...
Post a Comment
Read more

Devotional: Life Matters Discuss, Series 7

 LIFE MATTERS DISCUSS, SERIES 7 TOPIC: WINNING THE WAR IN YOUR MIND 1 BIBLE REF: Philippians 4:8-9, Proverbs 23:7, Romans 12:1-2, 2Corithians 10:3-5 Our lives are always moving in the direction of our strongest thoughts. What we think shapes who we are. You might read that and think I’m being an overly dramatic preacher using hyperbole to get your attention. But this is no exaggeration. Our lives do follow the direction of our thoughts. The better we grasp that truth, the better equipped we’ll be to change the trajectory of our lives. But don’t take my word for it. Both the Bible and modern science provide evidence that this is true. So throughout this Bible Plan, we’ll unpack both Scripture and what we’ve learned from scientific research. Here’s a brief example of both: In Philippians 4:8–9, the apostle Paul writes, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is exce...
Post a Comment
Read more