Reacting vs. Responding

I have spent a lot of this week in "reaction" mode. Just a little something that I have learned about that mode -- it's not a good or fun place to be! How often do we immediately react to a situation or a question from our kids without thinking through it? How often, when confronted with something that we really don't want to hear, do we immediately react and jump on the defensive?

I have spent all week pondering this and have tried to come up with something profound to say about the situation and it boils down to this:

Reacting, for me, is acting in my flesh - and in my sinful nature -- it's a knee jerk, often brutally honest but not thought through answer.

Responding, on the other hand, allows me time to process what has been presented. Even if I still don't agree with what has been said or is happening, I allow myself the time to respond in love - saving myself and another a lot of heartache.

Don't get me wrong. There are definitely times that we only have time to react - when we see someone in danger, etc. but when faced with challenges or information that may hit a little too close to home, I am learning to pray that the Lord will help me to RESPOND and not REACT.

During the time that I was trying to come up with something much more eloquent than these random thoughts thrown on paper, I decided to look to see how many times each word was used in the Bible. I found quite a few times that God and others responded in the Bible, but not once was there a time recorded that God reacted. How much different would our lives be if God reacted to us every time we stepped outside of His will for us? Thank goodness we do not have to know!! Praise Him for His enduring love and willingness to respond to us, even in the form of discipline, as opposed to reacting to our sometimes childish ways.

"A gentle response defuses anger, but a sharp tongue kindles a temper-fire." Proverbs 15:1 (The Msg)

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17