Skip to main content

A Better Approach

                It is not our circumstances, but how we deal with them that makes the difference.  Generally speaking, people respond to life in one of four ways.
                First, there are “Reactors”.  Think about pool balls on a table.  What happens if you just leave them there?  Nothing!  Pool balls do not move until they are acted upon.  Reactors are like that too.  They take no initiative.  Instead, they wait until they are hit by something and then they respond.  This perceived lack of control over their circumstances frustrates them and so they go through life yelling at everyone and being mad about everything.
                Another approach is to “Conform”.  These people do not feel that they are in control of their life either, but instead of getting angry (like the “Reactors”) they respond by blending in.  They are like a stick in a stream.  Rather than choosing their own direction, they just “go with the flow”.  These people often feel like their life is empty because no one really knows them. 
                A third response is to become an “Independent”.  This group’s primary thought is, “I do not need anyone”.  Independents live on the fringe of everything.  They have many acquaintances, but no real friends.  They are like the lakes of Northern Saskatchewan which are part of our province, but are so isolated that they have no real effect on anyone.  Of course, independents struggle with loneliness.  We are not designed to live by ourselves or for ourselves.
                The last option is a life of “Engagement”.   The idea here is that we are here to do something important and make a difference.  Jesus echoed this thinking when he said, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working” (John 5:17).  We, too, can become involved with what God is doing.  By engaging with his plan, we find a purpose and we can help to create something beautiful and eternal. 
                So, let me ask you:  Which of those four categories describes your normal response pattern? 
If you fall into one of the first three categories, something needs to change.  A life of reaction, conformity or independence will never produce anything that is joyful, balanced or beautiful.  We need a better approach. 
“Godliness has value for all things… both the present life and the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:8).

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Art of Noticing.... Seeing what we need to see and what we miss when we don't

 What we focus on in life matters. Here are some scriptural reminders that will help us see correctly.  https://youtu.be/Rn76tV0ZH8s    
Post a Comment
Read more

New Article: A Path Worth Following

  Jehoram was a terrible king.  He reigned in Judah around the year 850 B.C. and he did not care about God or his people.  His first act as king was to assassinate his six brothers so that no one could challenge his authority.  He was brutal and selfish.   Therefore, when the Bible sums up his life, it says, “Jehoram… passed away, to no one’s regret, and was buried in the City of David” (2 Chronicles 21:20).  Did you catch that?  “To no one’s regret!”  What a terrible phrase for your tombstone. On the other hand, consider a lady named Tabitha.  She lived in the city of Joppa in the first century A.D. and we are told, “… she was always doing good and helping the poor” (Acts 9:36).  She became sick and died.  This caused the community so much grief that they called Peter, who was in the nearby town of Lydda, to come and help them.  When Peter arrived, a crowd gathered, bringing all the robes and other clothing that ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Consider This.... Which Way Are You Leaning?

   When Ben Patterson agreed to join three friends climbing Mount Lyell, the highest point in Yosemite National Park, he did not realize what he was signing up for.  Early in the day, it became clear that he was completely unprepared for the task.  In an effort to keep up with his more experienced friends, Ben took a shortcut.  It did not occur to him that there might be a reason the others had not selected this route, but he soon found out why.  Ben became stuck on the glacier.  He could not move up, down or sideways and one wrong move would send him sliding down a forty-five-degree slope to the valley floor miles below.   That is when one of his friends came to the rescue. His buddy leaned over the edge and carved some footholds in the ice.  He told Ben to step to the first foothold and immediately swing his other foot to the second, then his buddy would pull him to safety.  Lastly, his friend gave him one more piece of advice....
Post a Comment
Read more