We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to
be present with the Lord. Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or
absent, to be well pleasing to Him.
~ 2 Corinthians 5:8-9
Our aim as christians is to live a life pleasing to God, no matter where we
are or what we are doing. We may find ourselves in situations where our first
reaction is to criticize or get angry, and we need to learn to wait before
reacting. Many times, our first reaction is not one that will help the
situation we are in, but will only inflame it and create more problems.
A former boss of mine once told me that it's important to respond to a
situation, not react to it. Responding implies thinking and praying about
what you are going to do or say and that can take time. Responding is more
likely to help bring about a workable solution, while reacting can sometimes
be like throwing gasoline on a fire and is usually done in anger.
Proverbs 15:28 says, "The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, but
the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil." Proverbs 15:1 says, "A soft answer
turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." Learning to respond
rather than react can be hard, but I believe God is pleased when we take time
to seek His help with problems we face. And seeking His will is always
pleasing to Him!
Lord, as we go out again today, help us to learn to respond rather than react.
When someone says something that is hurtful or critical, help us to give an
answer that is pleasing to You, and help us to learn to subdue our fleshly
response. Teach us to be as wise as serpents, but as gentle as doves in all
that we do. Let our lives be a witness of Your changing power.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
|
|
