Reframing Your Life With God's PerspectiveSample

The Secret to Reframing Your Life

In 2006 a book titled The Secret swept the New York Times bestseller list and made Oprah Winfrey’s coveted list of must-read books. The message of the book is, You have the power to get what you want. Years before that, a prisoner from the New Testament wrote a letter that revealed another kind of secret: You have the power to want what you have.

This second “secret” audaciously proclaims that contentment can be found in any situation, right where you are. Here are the words of the prisoner’s claim: “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want” (Philippians 4:12).

Because these words were written in a prison cell, they carry a promise that transcends all circumstances. However, one word establishes a small condition to this claim. Paul had to learn the secret of contentment, partly because he was in a place of discontent, and being there pressed him to see his circumstances from a broader view. By pulling back and looking at his life from a wider perspective, Paul saw more than his circumstances presented him, and this allowed him to interpret and experience his circumstances differently. Paul recognized that his current circumstances were part of a larger story, and this gave him the resolve he needed to live every chapter well.

By reframing his life, Paul was able to find peace and satisfaction in what was, instead of spending his days wishing for what could be.

From When Changing Nothing Changes Everything by Laurie Polich Short.