Date: November 29, 2012 10:55 PM
Topic: +DEV+ Reactor or Responder?
Reactor or Responder?
"I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)
Scripture Focus: John 18:1-11
In the account of Jesus' betrayal and arrest, we have two very different behaviors in a single situation. Peter, seeing the soldiers with their clubs, impulsively reacted, slashing with his sword against the enemy. Jesus, on the other hand, met the same retinue with calmness and composure that came from knowing the will of His Father.
"Nothing influences the quality of our life more than how we respond to trouble" (Erwin G. Tieman). Are you a reactor or a responder? When things fall apart around you, what do you do? Do you, like Peter, react in fear, frustration, worry, or dread? Or do you respond with quiet confidence in God's power and protection?
Responding with quiet strength is the gift from a heart that has meditated on the Scriptures, sought God's presence, and thanked and praised God in both the good times and the bad. When trouble is at hand, this heart knows Who its refuge is and Who hears and answers its cries. This heart remembers that the God of peace is also the God of deliverance.
Insight: Be Still, My Soul, The Lord Doth Undertake; To Guide The Future As He Has The Past. (Katharina A. Von Schlegel, 1752)
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