Respond Don't React

5-5-2009

For those of you that have followed these devotionals, heard me speak, or hang out with me, you will know I’m a huge believer in personal development. One area I really speak a lot about is the process of evaluating our strengths and weaknesses. While going through this process myself a few years back, I learned one of my weaknesses was my reactive personality.

I recall reading the differences between a reaction versus a response in one of the books I was reading, and it hit me, I tend to be reactive, and I don’t mean this in a good way! We are called to respond to situations with reason. To be reactive is to “react” to a situation with emotion. This is rarely a good thing. When we react, we tend to lash out and do verbal damage to the person we are in conversation with. When we respond, we stay calm and speak with reason while controlling our emotion. For those of us with a reactive mindset, we tend to create a lot of damage and broken relationships. For those that have mastered the art of responding, we tend to salvage relationships by controlling what we say and how we say it. God calls us to live a peace with everyone, and in order to so, we must respond, not react.

In Ephesians 4:25-32 Paul gives us strict instructions as to how to be responsive versus reactive. “Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold…Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as Christ God forgave you.”

Application:
1. Read Ephesians 4:25-32
2. Do you tend to react or respond?
3. When was the last time you reacted, and do you need to ask for someone’s forgiveness?
4. Have you forgiven someone else when they should have responded?