Our frame of reference (the lens we use to view the world)

04/09/2022 - Simon Warrick

My family – Picture/update

Carrying a bit more weight than I like

110 kilos

Going up – bad
Going down – good.

Our frame of reference affects the way we view things
(the lens we use to view the world)

Frame of reference.
Interpreted through:

• world view
• family of origin
• education
• life experience
• current context
• so much more…

Your frame of reference influences everything..

110kgs

• Bad
• Good

Same weight, same number but due to my frame of reference of 110kgs is interpreted differently life experience and situation.

How we respond

• emotions,
• feelings,
• how that thing affects us.

Is a result of our current frame of reference…

Make sense?

Lets test it.

• What is your response to these words?
• How do you feel?
• What emotions do you notice?
• How does this affect you?

Holden
Some people hate them some people love them. Some people care, some people don’t.
Whats happening inside you now? Notice it, feel it experience it.

• Ford
• iPhone
• Android
• Mac
• PC
• Labor
• Liberal
• The Collingwood v Geelong games yesterday.
• Vaccination.

Father

When you hear that word, father, what emotions, do you feel

• happy
• sad
• angry
• numb
• nothing
• joy
• fear
• secure
• controlled
• nurtured
• ignored
• loved

How does that word FATHER affect you?

What you are feeling is in response to the word father? What you are feeling is in response to your frame of reference.

In Matthew 6 – Jesus was teaching his disciples
7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,[a]
but deliver us from the evil one.[b]’

This is a prayer that was taught, to give us to guidelines in how we seek God.

The challenge is to see God as father, brings with it our entire frame of reference thus affecting how we view God.

If you have a good dad, a bit easier, what about those who didn’t.

My story and frame of reference of dad

Grateful to have grown up in a Christian community where I got to observe a number of different dads, initially picking up things without thinking about it. traits I liked, things I didn’t like

As I grew, got married and started planning to have kids I became a lot more intentional about how I wanted to parent,

• “gonna do this like them,”
• “not going to do that like they do..”

Then you have kids and let’s face it, most of the time were just trying to work out how to not damage them too much.

With the benefit of my current frame of reference I’d do a lot differently.. but honestly you do the best you know how to do at the time.
We’ve had conversations with our now adult kids talking about how we parented and what we would do differently, how our frame of reference has changed and there’s nothing wrong with getting professional help in the future if they need it..

We have a great relationship now with our kids and I’m super thankful, a couple things that I believe have served us is we were intentional about apologizing when we were in the wrong, even if our wrong was the way we responded to their wrong doing. We tried hard to say “im sorry” with no “but you did this”

And we chose to fight for them rather than with them, what was the best for maintaining relationship

When relating to God my frame of reference around God as father was something I had to work on. Something I had to intentionally consider as my experience of an earthly father wasn’t a good frame of reference to consider God.

Through the OT particularly God revealed Himself with different names at different times, in that time names weren’t just names they meant something,

Jehovah is the translation of YWEH

One writer states
Jehovah is the I AM THAT I AM. It signifies “to be’, or ‘I will be all that I will be’. It tells us that God is the Eternal, the unchanged and Unchanging One, and He will be all that He is ever needed to be,.

Today we’ll look at 8 compound names of God, its interesting to note that these names are always liked to some need of man.

1) Jehovah tsidqenuw (tshd ka nu) – God is Righteous (virtuous, moral, good, just, blameless, upright, honourable, honest, respectable, decent)

Jer 23:6b This is the name by which he will be called:
The Lord Our Righteous Savior. NIV

Acting in a moral way, virtuous

2) Jehovah Makaddesh Kem – God who Sanctifies The word ‘sanctify’ means to set apart or separate for special service, dedicated or consecrated, sacred and holy (bless, holy, sacred, purify, approve)

Exodus 31:13 “Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you. NKJV (or God who makes you holy)

3) Jehovah Shammah – God is present (here, in attendance, at hand, near, ever present)

Like light in the day time. Always around you, ever present.

Esekiel 48:35b “And the name of the city from that time on will be:
the Lord is there.”

4) Jehovah Shalom – God is Peace (harmony, freedom from strife, reconciliation, stillness, tranquillity, silence, serenity)

Judges 6
23 But the Lord said to him, “Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die.”
24 So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it The Lord Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

5) Jehovah Rapha – God Heals (to restore, cure or heal – not only physically, but also spiritually, mentally and morally)

Bush fires 2009 black spur regrowth

Ex 15:26 He said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.”..

6) Jehovah Jireh – God is my Provider (financially, emotionally, socially, morally and spiritually)

(Sacrifice of Isaac)
Gen 22: 14 So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

7) Jehovah Nissi – God is my Banner (As the armies went into battle, they would lift up a banner so the enemy could see their strength. It would go before them into battle)

Ex 17:15 Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. 16 He said, “Because hands were lifted up against[c] the throne of the Lord,[d] the Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.”

8) Jehovah Raah -God is my shepherd (to feed or lead to pasture. Also companion or friend.)

Psalm 23:1
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,[a]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

When we reframe our view of God in line with who He is our experience of Life and our relationship with God will change..

For me its not been a quick fix. It’s been about knowing these names and reminding myself of who He is,

Have you ever felt like God was directing you into something that you have no context for, a new job, a new situation and you feel concerned or scared?

Well God is Jehovah Tsidquenew – he is God is righteous, He is moral honorable, honest and you can trust Him with everything.

If your ever feeling less than enough,

Well God is Jehovah Makaddesh Kem
Sanctified through Jesus, He sets us apart to be holy and sacred. –

If your feeling lonely or lost.
Well God is Jehovah Shammah
God is always present, no matter what we do and where we go He is always there.

Feeling out of control, like peace is missing from your life and mayhem is ruling
Well God is Jehovah Shalom,
The God who is peace, we can always go to Him to gain comfort and peace, he is always safe, a refuge in times of trouble and challenge

We need something to be healed
Well God is Jehovah Rapha.
The God who heals, physically, emotionally, spiritually mentally and morally.

When we are doing it tough, we need provision in some way
Well God Jehovah Jireh
will provide us with what we need, not always what we want but what we need. –

When you feel like life is a battle and your doing it by yourself.
Well God is Jehovah Nissi. God will go before us into battle, no matter what we face we know we can count on Him to be with us, but not just be with us but go before us.

When you feel like you need, guidance, direction, protection.
Well God is Jehovah Raah our shepherd, as long as we follow Him and allow Him to lead us we know we are under His protection and guidance, (doesn’t mean that from here on everything will be peachy and have no troubles however He will lead us and guide us. –

No matter what your frame of reference is today with regard to your earthly father this is who God is.

If you would call yourself a Christian, lean these redemptive names, lean into them, learn to trust God in these things.

If you wouldn’t know that there is a God who loves you, who is available to be all these things to you if you want………

I am thankful I get to be a dad, I am also thankful that I have a heavenly father who I can trust and lean into for everything.

Kids who’s dad didn’t hit the mark (what did I do?)

• Seek to understand,
• Forgive
• Learn from this and don’t send it forward.
• If appropriate seek to reconcile.
• Know who God is and allow this frame of reference to guide your life.

Dads who feel they haven’t hit the mark, speak to their heart.. (what do I do?)

• Know things can change.
• Seek to understand – have the conversation/Listen.
• Forgive
• Ask forgiveness.