Controlling the Narrative
“Wise words satisfy like a good meal; the right words bring satisfaction. The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.” Proverbs 18:20-21 (NLT)
Today started out with a break in my usual routine. I did not get the opportunity to study and mediate this morning as usual, but even with that, my day started out good. I did pray this morning before entering my workplace. I felt peace. I was good. Let me show you how the devil came in. My son called to inform me that our extra car would not crank. Mind you, his car is in the shop with a blown head gasket. I immediately went into momma mode. How am I going to fix this? You know how we as parents do. I borrowed a set of cables and came home to jump the car off so I could return to work. That did not go as plan. I had to take the battery out to be charged because something drained the battery completely. To make this story short, the car is working. What do you think would have happened if I had not controlled the narrative today?
Controlling the narrative means how you respond to different situations on a day-to-day basis. It could be even how you respond to the changing seasons of your life. I could have immediately let that ruin my day. Based on how my days have been going recently, I could have gone into a funk. Instead, I talked to God about everything as it was happening from the call until I put the charged battery back into the car. Me talking to God did not mean that the situation could not have turned out a different way. It could have meant putting the car in the shop. That was already worked out as well if that had been the case. I chose to not let the situation steal my peace. You must do the same thing as well.
Life will come with its ups and downs. We will face trials and tribulations (James 1:2-4). Only you can control how you respond to those things. Some days it will be hard not to respond in flesh because we are flesh. On those days, call on God more than ever. Let him know that you cannot get through it alone. God said in his word that he would never leave you nor forsake you. Believe it.
Start controlling your narrative with small things. It could be with people or situations. The more you do it, the easier it gets. Why? Because once you get used to controlling your thoughts, feelings, and emotions it will in turn help how you process and deal with things.