Reacting Vs Responding: A Practical Day to Day Teaching

Do you react initially or respond?  Discovered when I have reacted, I am usually in the flesh ... I am not talking about reacting responsibly, like removing a child out of harms way... I am talking about reacting in fear or frustration or impatience and the like.... something which breeds negative energy/emotions/attitudes and not peace and harmony or righteousness, and definitely not love.  

Here is an example: Someone spills a drink or breaks something... have you ever found yourself reacting in ways such as yelling: "BE more careful, with name calling"... rather than simply making an observation with the knowledge, accidents happen, and this was not intentional.... no big deal  ... Followed up by identifying and thus helping the other person to cleanup an embarrassing moment... without feeling negative energy, which breaks out as chaos such as: "Don't call me a name... it was only an accident, Chill." you know, conversation which leads to a down hill spiral of frustration and the like... which if it goes unchecked can lead to resentment or bitterness and judgmental-ism... a divided household... of members who no longer serve one another in/as love.... who are caught up in a cycle of rejecting and being rejected, due to preconditioning, before they/we were born of the Spirit of God.

For those who are new at walking in the Spirit and not in the flesh... be encouraged, know as we become perfect (mature) in Christ...  our eyes are opened to our fleshy ways of being, (without condemnation), in HIS timing and ways.  Bless the Lord we are convicted, can repent and turn to HIM for guidance and power, not previously walked in ... whereby we learn to respond rather than react. 

For some of us this can be hard... because the role model we had growing up was one where 'reacting' was the norm... but Bless You Father... You as our Father are raising us in the way we are to go spiritually... teaching us to love... as You would/desire to love through us.  Teaching us wisdom and giving us understanding.... developing in us patience, kindness, tolerance and other fruits of the Spirit. Thank Your for releasing us from the role model in the flesh which use to influence us... to walk in the spirit, reflecting Your truth, Your nature, it having become our own.

Scriptural References:

 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.  And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

Galatians 5:22-26 KJV

 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now [are ye] light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit [is] in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)  Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

Ephesians 5:8-10 KJV