Identity - Reframing Your Life 4

Global Warming???

Continuing our series on the reframed life:
The reframed life is not confined to the past, but instead, past experiences are understood in ways that help forge a future with expanded effectiveness because you have discontinued hurtful patterns and live free of resentment and bitterness. All of these elements are part of the reframed life.

The person can develop wisdom to develop a creative response leading to problem resolution and stronger relationships. Reframing is the end of waiting for someone else to take the lead in your life. You take the lead and actively, creatively and productively choose a response to whatever area of your life is giving you difficulty. You move out actively to master the difficulties of life rather than be victimized by them.

Arterburn suggests the following process in reframing.
1. Humility. Romans 3:23 says “all have sinned…” Everyone of us has messed up, and we are all fellow strugglers. When we acknowlege this, we take away our entitlement to blame and shame. We don’t live in a perfect world and if those who have hurt us, hadn’t, someone else would have. And we would have definitely hurt ourselves. Next:

2. Galatians 5:16 challenges us to live according to the new life in the Holy Spirit, not doing what “comes natural.” Revenge. The person walking in fellowship with Christ has the empowerment of the Holy Spirit – a power greater than ourselves to live the supernatural life that replaces the natural life of vengance.

3. Awareness of the reality of the imperfect life - that person who hurt you was himself a hurt person before he hurt you. (People who hurt, hurt people.)

4. A mindset of looking at the past in a new way, developing a forgiving spirit that realizes people will let us down. But you can give grace and acceptance and see the value of previous harm done to you.

Arterburn says, “When you put the four pieces of the frame together, then put them around even the vilest abuse, you become open to resolving it and putting it behind you. If you have been holding on to the same grudge for years it is time to let it go and live your life from a different perspective – leading to resolution and never having to relive the pain or ever allow the abuser to influence or control your life again. Once you achieve this, you are free to move into the future and live out the purposes God created for you to accomplish.