Choosing to See Things in a New Way

Perhaps you’ve seen the presentation before. Someone asks you to tell them what you see on the screen. You look, and there is a single black dot in the middle. That is all. The presenter then asks if there is anything more. Once you confirm that the tiny black speck is the only thing there, the presenter then asks about all the white space surrounding the dot. Oh! You never thought about considering that as part of what was there. Now you’re looking at the screen differently.

This is just one of many ways to introduce the idea of “reframing.”

It’s the act of seeing a situation or problem from a different perspective. It can be a very helpful instrument for change. Therapists use it. Life Coaches use it. Leaders use it. And many individuals have turned it into a personal problem-solving tool. The goal is to find a solution or way forward when confronted with the feeling that you’re limited or stuck.

Viewing circumstances from a different angle almost always loosens up stiff thinking patterns. In the example above, our minds tend to put a “frame” around the one tiny particle at the center of the screen, and that is all that is consciously acknowledged. A new perspective is gained when the “frame” is stretched outward to encompass the entire screen. Awareness of previously unseen space opens the door for new possibilities, and for any potential problem, new solutions. We also see that the dot (or problem) is not as big as it once looked once a new frame opens our eyes to a larger context.

A New Perspective

I learned to do this long before I knew there was a name for it. As I was hit with problems, fears, and hurts when I first joined the ministry I work with, a wise voice often asked me, “What does Jesus want to teach you in this, Jeff?”

I did not always appreciate this question when I simply wanted to be left alone in my self-pity, anger, or resentment. But after a while, it started to sink in. Was there a different way of looking at this? Was it possible that God wanted to use this unpleasant situation to work something good in me? I could rarely see it right away. But by merely asking the question, my ears and heart would begin to open to new ways of putting a different frame around whatever issue I was dealing with.

Once I got into the habit of asking myself this, a switch flipped. It never changed the actual situation. But it certainly shifted something inside as well as transformed how I viewed God and the world.

An Old Testament story comes to mind. In 2 Kings 6:8-22, the prophet Elisha steps out of his house one morning with his servant to discover that the village they are staying in is surrounded by the Syrian army come to arrest Elisha. The terrified servant begins to freak out.

But Elisha calmly prays, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see” (2 Kings 6:17 ESV).

Or in other words: “O God, please stretch the frame of his sight that he might see the bigger picture of what you’re doing.” And of course, when God answered this prayer, the servant became aware of an even larger army of angels surrounding the Syrians. Reality did not change. He just saw it differently. He had a new perspective. And that made all the difference in dealing with his fear.

What Do I Need?

The process of reframing has never allowed me to see angels (though I am open to that). But it has almost always given me sight for something bigger than the restrictive space of the situation I began with. God always has new perspective to give each one of us about whatever we’re facing. The question always will be, are we giving Him the opportunity to adjust the frame so we can see differently?

Some, who call themselves Christians, go through their entire lives rarely, if ever, experiencing this new sight of what God is doing or has in mind. There can be many reasons for this. But I have zeroed in on two qualities that make a difference.

• I must have hope in something bigger than myself. To reframe anything with the question “What are you wanting to teach me, Jesus?” requires that you believe there is ultimate good that He desires to lead you toward. Too often, we discover that our hope is in our own ingenuity, our own education, and our ability to figure things out on our own. When these and other control features are no longer working for us, we feel truly stuck and often fall into despair. If we say we trust in Him, why are we so slow at asking Him what He has in mind in a crisis or painful situation? To truly hope in God is to always expect Him to be ready to show you what He wants to accomplish. And even if He doesn’t reveal anything new right away, hope allows me to trust that good is yet to come.
• I must have the humility to listen to a voice outside myself. This is really just an extension of the first quality. True humility will allow self-pity and even anger to be interrupted with wisdom and loving guidance. It’s the first rule of effective therapy, consulting, or coaching. You have to admit you need someone else and be open to looking at old things in new ways, which is not always comfortable. The Holy Spirit is the ultimate therapist, consultant, and coach. And the same principle of humility applies. He usually waits to communicate till after we’ve asked. Of course, He often speaks through people and often those we least expect to have anything to offer.

There is so much more our Heavenly Father wants to show as well as work within and through His children. Giving Him space to speak and reveal requires letting go of the frame you did not realize you were holding onto. So much more awaits us outside the little black dots that we cannot see past.

Go ahead. Ask the reframing question!

“Jesus, what do YOU want to teach me in this situation?”

Response:

• What’s an example that I can remember of reframing a problem so that it looked and felt differently? How did that help?
• What are some of the situations I’m facing right now that need to be reframed? Who am I asking for help in this process, if anyone?
• In what way can I relate to Elisha’s servant when he first saw the Syrian army? What might God be doing that I simply do not have eyes to yet see?
• Where am I not believing that God has only the very best in mind for me? How is this keeping God from being able to reframe my perspective? What do I need to repent of?
• Jesus, how do you want to reframe the problem in front of me?

(Edited and reposted from September 19, 2022)