Redefining Everything
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.
2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (ESV)
Socrates famously wrote, “The beginning of wisdom is the definition of terms.” We often take definitions for granted, but the true or false definition of a word can be the lynchpin of life well lived. Success and failure aren’t determined solely by outcome, but rather by definitions. When we fail to speak in God’s language of what can actually be good, beautiful, beneficial, and bright, we will miss the treasures to be found in the depths of loss, trauma, failure, and limitations.
When we believe good and hard are diametrically opposed, we are robbed of experiencing the dynamic fullness of the good/hard life.
Even when our circumstances remain the same, so much can change when we choose to redefine the core metrics that shape our experience in the world. We can't redefine our way out of the hard stuff, but can decide to reframe the inevitable valleys as an opportunity to see from a different perspective and a chance to blaze a trail into a new kind of freedom.
