I remember hearing interviews of Olympians before they would compete. Are you nervous? The interviewer asked. “No, I’m excited” they replied. I remember hearing the same response from people who were about to do public speaking.
Do they not feel nervous? Maybe they are lying? I think it’s a third option.They choose to interpret their situation differently.
Life is nothing but pain to some. My life is amazing, some say. Which one is it?
Have you ever heard people come home from mission trips saying - it’s amazing how happy theyare.(Speaking of the impoverished communities)
How is it that somebody in abject poverty can remain optimistic?
In James we read –“consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,”(James chapter, verses 1-2)
Of course, it's not pure joy to suffer.However, it is fair to say that the Jesus rooted mindset produces the fruit of joyous consideration of tribulation.
Interpretation is the key.
The antithesis of this, the thinking produced by the wicked nature, is to consider it pure misery, to complain always.
The fallen mindset never ceases to strip all positives from a life’s challenge. A trial, which has the potential to grow us, becomes hollowed out of all its utility. Belittling it into nothing but a draining obstacle.
In a previous article, I wrote about the function of doubt. I believe that God can use doubt to deepen our faith. I think doubt is the greatest utensil to isolate weak points in our foundation.Once doubts are isolated, we can expose them to truth and eliminate them.
Relational conflict is an enduring trial. But it doesn’t have to grind away at our strength. It doesn’t have to be pure misery.What if considering it pure joy was a real possibility? Instead of trying to endure begrudgingly, gritting our teeth, what if we chose to focus on its usefulness for our sanctification?
Conflict can teach us many things about God’s love.
There is powerful utility in the call to love our enemies.
"The gift of our enemy may be able to bring us: to see aspects of ourselves that we cannot discover any other way than through our enemies. Our friends seldom tell us these things; they are our friends precisely because they are able to overlook or ignore this part of us. The enemy can be the way to God. We cannot come to terms with our shadow except through our enemies."
- Walter Wink
The fallen mind-state interprets relational conflictas pure misery, while the Jesus attuned mind-state interprets it as a way to God!
Loving your enemies, forgiving your spouse, being patient with a close friend was never meant to be resisted, it was meant to be embraced. Changing our interpretation of trials can help us with this.
What about the disturbance that is fear? How should we interpret it?
Snowboarding, sky diving, bungee jumping these are all made exhilarating by fear.Stephen King writes horror/thriller fiction. He makes a living out of holding the reader in a snare of suspense. The fear is what makes it so impossible to put the book down.
What if we interpreted fear as something that made life exhilarating. What if the act of conquering fear made us excited? Would we have more energy to do something bold?
Conquering fear
Although fear can be crippling, if we conquer it, the victory has the potential to be even sweeter.
What if we used different interpretations to make ongoing obstacles more bearable?
Life can be bleak, there’s no denying it, but a positive interpretation can bring forth light. What consideration are you making? Is your consideration bleak? Is your consideration joyous?
The energy being sucked out of you could be the cause of bleak interpretations. It doesn’t mean it’s anybody’s fault. It only suggests we live in a fallen world carrying a corrupt nature.
The good news is that our God is greater than any defeatist mentality. Greater than any despondent outlook. He redeems from the pit. He revives hope in a weary land. He restores and resurrects.
The fallen mindset is no match for the sanctifying God that indwells us.
Roden Meares enjoys playing basketball, reading comics and going to the gym. He has a passion for evangelising and helping others in their faith through writing.
Roden’s previous articles can be viewed at https://www.pressserviceinternational.org/roden-meares.html
Roden Meares enjoys playing basketball, reading comics and going to the gym. He has a passion for evangelising and helping others in their faith through writing.
Roden’s previous articles can be viewed at https://www.pressserviceinternational.org/roden-meares.html
