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).
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