Sunday, June 24, 2012

Act or React?


The true test of walking in the Spirit will not be the way we act, but the way we react to the daily frustrations of life.

~~Beverly LaHaye



Do you ever have one of those days when nothing seems to go right or the way you planned? Unexpected problems, interruptions, and delays keep cropping up and testing your patience until it finally reaches a point of frenzy and hysteria! There are days when I feel like I have been “victimized” by a series of interruptions that are beyond my control, and if you’re like me, you can easily become irritated, exasperated, and frustrated with these unwelcomed distractions, and react to the situations with impatience and irritation.


.....Frustrated, anxious, angry, nervous, annoyed, distracted, overwhelmed, worn out…..


How are these feelings and your reactions affecting and influencing your behavior and how you feel???


“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14)

Delays, distractions, and interruptions: those pesky irritations like a traffic jam, a long line at the check-out, a ringing telephone, an employee breaking your train of thought, etc., can pop up when you are least expecting them. Life in general seems designed some days to test our ability to deal with frustration, and we have a choice on how we respond and react to these aggravations. Frustration can lead to a poor and rash response and can cause us to be impatient with others and snap at them; treating them in “not so nice” ways. But how does God want us to react and respond to these interruptions that affect our schedules and patience?

"What we must do is to stop regarding unpleasant or unexpected things as interruptions of real life. The truth is that interruptions are real life, the real life that God sends us day by day. What we call our real life is but a phantom of our imagination." (C.S Lewis)



Perhaps God puts these frustrations and delays in our lives for a reason; they don’t have to be viewed as something that is taking away from our day, but rather opportunities that God is adding to our lives. Trials are His way of perfecting our patience and character. Interruptions are a real part of our life, and it takes constant prayer and awareness to behave well rather than react badly when facing an unwanted interruption in our schedule. We need to practice dealing with disruptions in a Godly way as they actually rise to meet us and pause before responding impatiently (which only leads to more stress, anger, and frustration!) We have the Lord’s strength to respond with patience, and we have a responsibility to react with complete trust, as He would have us react.


“For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage of decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.” (Romans 8:20-21)


Linking up this week with Joan at The Beauty in His Grip






Beauty in His Grip Button

11 comments:

  1. This is very good Denise. Thank you so much for sharing this timely post. Through it God has encouraged me to come and depend upon Him more fully every day. I especially liked this, "We have the Lord’s strength to respond with patience, and we have a responsibility to react with complete trust, as He would have us react."

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  2. Thank you Denise. You have made ​​a precious posting. God bless you this week.

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  3. Hi Denise - I love love love that quotation be CS Lewis. I've never seen it before but if I behaved like interruptions were, well, life... i would most certainly have a different attitude. Great post my precious friend
    God bless
    (praying for that tea/coffee date) :)
    Tracy

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  4. Hello Denise you know one of my pastor use to tell us all the time we can't change what a person will do to us but what we can do is change how you will react to it...At first I had no idea what he meant but over the years I am beginning to see that I can only change how I behave not others..Great post!

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  5. Fantastic words, Denise. I still struggle with this. I am a "planner" and love to have every bit of my day planned out when my feet hit the floor in the morning. If something threw it off schedule? Stand back. But God has taught me that yes, everything happens on His timing but I also must TRUST Him enough to direct my day. I have to leave room for Him to move... and react appropriately. Thanks for this reminder :-)

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  6. I had this kind of day today. I am still feeling the stress in my neck. It's been hard not reacting to all the annoyances and worries of the day, but this was a great reminder that God is not just listening to my words, but watching my attitude also!
    Thanks for the reminder Denise ;)
    ~God Bless~ Lisa

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  7. Amen and thanks for your post! It reminded me that I must be slow to anger when I am facing a trial. Sometimes I may face a trial and become frustrated, only to realise it's because I lost my focus on God. It is only when we keep our eyes on Jesus that we will begin to see what He sees. WWJD?! God bless ya Denise! :D

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  8. How often I've found that those seemingly annoying interruptions in my day were actually a Divine appointment. And to think that I would have missed out. I'm sure I have missed many due to my own frustrations.

    Blessings and love,
    Debbie

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  9. I think you've written this posting special for me. Yes or no? ;-) Thank you Denise. Ist great and Í'am so thankful for it.

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  10. oh yes! we preach this...we cannot control most things..but we can control our reactions...

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  11. Denise this is such a great reminder for me today. Hope you're enjoying a great weekend.

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