Devotional: Respond vs. Reacting

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but harsh words stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:1

The challenges we face on a daily basis impacts our journey with Jesus Christ. The question is, are you equipped to respond to situations in your life or will you only be reacting? Will God be glorified and honored or will you be dealing with a conviction in your heart?

We need to use God’s word to ground us, to give us direction and guidance in the choices we make. I love Psalm 19:10-11 which says, “They (God’s word) are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey from the comb. By them (God’s word) is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.”  Another verse that really speaks to my heart and I love to pray over daily is Psalm 19:14 is “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

The heaviness of conviction on my heart made it clear I handled a conflict wrong and I went straight to God to pray. God asked me, “What kind of Christian do you want to be?”   I realized the way I reacted in the privacy of my home is not the way I would respond if my friends were around. God clearly showed me this is not right. He told me that I am called to live beyond the way the world thinks and live according to His ways. He also reminded me that scripture says, “Do to others as you would have them do to you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that.” Luke 6:31-33

Verses to Reflect:

Romans 6: 17-21 “But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!”

Titus 3: 5-7 “Grace is the kindness and the love of God our Savior…not because of righteous things we have done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified heirs having the hope of eternal life.”