Hello beloved child of God, I hope you’re fine by God’s grace.
Have you started changing your life-lenses? I hope so. I’ve been learning to change mine.
Today we’re going to talk about the second method we can use to change our life-lenses. I’ll call this method “Counting The Cost”
Why is it usually so difficult to change our life-lenses? I believe it’s because we believe that they’re useful, that they’re necessary. We believe they are the complete truth and that they protect us from harm.
It’s difficult to change something when you don’t even realize how problematic it is. That’s why today, we’re going to make sure that we clearly outline the disadvantages to our life-lenses. We’ll write down both the advantages and disadvantages and then we’ll count the cost.
Luke 14:28 NIV
“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?
When you realize that a life-lens hurts you more than it benefits you, it will trigger a deep desire in you to get rid of it.
Example: Counting The Cost
Joshua a 23-year-old college student loves to have a good time. He looks at his world though the under-control life-lens. Whatever he wants to do, he does it, he follows his impulses. He rarely sets limits on himself or on others. Whatever people ask him to do, he does it. It’s hard for him to say no. He says what he thinks and does what he wants, he expresses his emotions whatever the case, without caring about the consequences. His high intelligence and easy-going personality have helped him to get by-until recently.
Due to his under-control life-lens, once he entered college he went everywhere where his friends brought him to and did everything they invited him to do. That’s how he ended up having a drinking problem, which escalated lately since he has difficulties with setting limits on himself. He hangs out at bars with his friends until they close and hangovers often cause him to miss classes. His grades are falling into failing zone. He has been called by his teachers for a meeting in order to explain his behaviour. If he doesn’t change, he’ll lose his scholarship.
Joshua now seeks help from a mental health professional who explains to him that he’s viewing his life through an under-control lens. His therapist suggests that he makes a table writing down the advantages and disadvantages of this life lens.
Life-lens : Under-control ; I believe it’s best to let it all hang loose. I should be able to do what I feel like. It’s good to express feelings and do what feels good. I don’t want to set limits on myself nor on anyone else.
| Advantages (Benefits) | Disadvantages (Costs) |
| It feels good to do what I want | It depends. That’s not how it works with alcohol. It feels good at the moment, but later on I have hangovers |
| I know how to have a good time with my friends | Perhaps it’s not so much a good time because we have fun for a moment but afterwards my grades suffer. |
| I don’t have to be a slave to rules and to what people tell me | But I became a slave to my friends and to my impulses. I do whatever they tell me to and now I have huge drinking problems and I can lose my driving license and my scholarship because of this |
| My classmates know that I say what I think and that I’m honest | But I’ve hurt many people because of that, I even got into fights because of that |
| I like showing what I feel no matter what | It’s not a good thing because I don’t get to control my anger. |
| My life is spinning out of control | |
| I want to succeed in life and that’s not where I’m headed at all |
As Joshua rounds up with this exercise he gets to realize this ” My under-control life-lens is ruining my life”
Proverbs 25:28 NIV
Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.
Now that he sees that it’s a real problem, he sees an increased desire to solve it.
Exercise: Counting The Cost For Me
It’s now your turn to write down all the advantages to each of your problematic life-lenses and then to write down all the disadvantages.
You’ll start with one Problematic life-lens just like the example above.
Draw an Advantages-disadvantages table and count the cost.
Then reflect on it, and notice how it’s better for you to start doing something about it, in order to get out of it and to renew your mind.
Prayer
Father Lord God Almighty, I want to live a life which glorifies Your Name. Open my eyes so that I may see all the burdens brought into my life by problematic life-lenses, and give me a deep desire to change those, in Jesus Christ’s Name. Amen.
It’s Now Your Turn
In the comments section share about a disadvantage to one of your problematic life-lenses.
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Invitation
Click here if you’re looking for a church. I recommend Elevation Church to you. A wonderful Christ-centered Church in which you aren’t limited by your location and in which you can see what God can do through you.
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God bless you
Victoria Eyog
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