How's your reactor?

What's your reaction?

How do you react to conflict? Difficult circumstances? Unjustified character attacks on yourself? People arguing? Confusing situations you can't control?

These and more are all woven into every person's life. We can't escape what's happening around us.

The only thing we can control is our reaction.

I was reflecting on the life of Moses in Exodus. He was definitely a reactionary. Whether it was an unfair fight between two men, dealing with complaints from the 2 million people he was commissioned to lead out of Egypt, a burning bush that wasn't consumed, his family and close advisors attaching his character, or a myriad of other issues...

Moses found that he often reacted unwisely.

God began to teach him to react wisely. God put Moses through the school of The Spirit.

You and I are in that same schooling process.

God is working in us to become like Him in and through the various issues of life we face today.

While reading and meditating about Moses and his journey, an important principle began to take shape. His years out in the desert were his training ground to obey God.

Here's the deal...
Being consistent in our obedience to God's direction for us is where we are schooled to react properly.

Then, when it seems like our whole world is falling apart we won't react in disobedience out of our flesh and disqualify ourselves from entering into our Promised Land.

"And this is love, that we walk in obedience to His commands. As you have heard from the beginning, His command is that you walk in love." II John 1:6

Deuteronomy 8 also shares the benefits of obedience.
Obedience from the heart - Loving God more than any relationship, activity, achievement, or possession.
Obedience from our will - Committing ourselves completely to Him.
Obedience for our future - Making service to God and man the main purpose of our life's work.
What are you going through right now?
Observe your reactions...are they godly or ungodly?
We each stand before God to give an account of our words, actions and deeds. Let's be found obedient to His will - because our love for Jesus is so great.

Remember: He loved you first and was obedient to the death of the cross so you could walk in His power, in the Spirit, now and spend eternity in heaven with Him...Thank You, Lord.

Today's challenge:
Look in the rearview mirror of your life: Make a list of the character traits where you can see that you have made progress in reacting to life more Christlike.

• What trial(s) or experiences helped to form and fashion that growth for you?
• Look ahead through the eye of faith: Make a list of the character traits you will operate in more fully like Christ.
• What trial(s) or experiences do you think would be needed to help form and fashion that growth?
• With that in mind, how will you purpose to REACT when those situations arise?

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