3MN: Change is slow, but it begins with changing our narrative.
Happy Thursday!
In the next 3 minutes:
- The two ingredients of anger.
- How do people change?
- Our narrative versus kingdom narrative.
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Minute 1 - The two ingredients that make up anger.
I have anger problems.
It's not a road-rage kind of anger. It's more of a boiling type of anger, like a kettle of water that eventually reaches it's breaking point.
As I've dealt with my anger over the years, I have come to recognize that all anger is fueled by two ingredients—unmet expectations and fear—that, when united, ignite into a strong emotion.
The bad news is that I cannot control a life full of unmet expectations. I estimate we encounter anywhere from ten to one hundred of them a day. But I can control, or at least better manage, my fears by living in the kingdom of God.
Fear gets a voice. It doesn't get a vote.
Minute 2 - The only way to change is to change our narrative.
To make headway with our anger, we need to fill our minds with kingdom narratives. Pastor and author Andrew Lester writes,
How do people change? . . . [C]hange occurs only when a person's stories are reconfigured, reframed, or re-authored. . . The only way to change is to change our narrative. . . We have the capacity to develop new images—that is, new narratives—to replace those that produce undesirable "scripts" (stories) which make us vulnerable to anger.
Minute 3 - For Jesus, the kingdom was not simply a nice idea but a very real place.
This is not quick and easy, but we can change our narratives. The narratives of the kingdom of God are quite different from the ones we convince ourselves are true.
Let's put them side-by-side and see the differences.
| Feeling: | Kingdom Narrative: |
|---|---|
| Out of Control | Jesus holds the reins. |
| Lost | The Lord guides your path. (Psalm 23:1) |
| Need for Fairness | Life may be uneven, but God's justice prevails. |
| Judged | In Christ, you are free from condemnation. (Romans 8:1) |
| Need for Perfection | You are loved and accepted, flaws and all. |
| Weak | God's grace strengthens you in weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9) |
For Jesus, the kingdom was not simply a nice idea but a very real place. Inside the kingdom of God, life is much different.
Change is slow. Work on changing your narrative this week.
VERSE OF THE WEEK
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here! 2 Corinthians 5:17
See you next Thursday,
Payton Minzenmayer
P.S. - I'm having fun over on TikTok.