Living Responsively Not Reactionary

As we look upon the beginning of yet another year… another decade even… I wonder what it would be like if we decided to live responsively instead of reactionary.

2019 was a hard year for a lot of people.
I was struck by the thought the other day of how many individuals I’ve heard express their discontent with this past year, and I have read plenty of posts on social media from people who have wrestled through severe conflict, devastating losses, and significant hardships.

And the truth really is that all of it seems to be so contrary and in direct opposition to the nature and character of Jesus.

Because He only did what He saw the Father doing.  He only said what He heard the Father saying.

I have been on a journey of sorts to unpacking the revolutionary nature of Jesus.  And I cannot find anything in His life that bears witness to compromised character that lives subserviently.  I cannot find where He gave in to a reactionary attitude toward the evil sought to destroy Him.

And you and I have no business adopting character traits that cannot be found in the life of Christ.

There will always be circumstances that threaten to consume us… situations that aim at our utter destruction…conditions that leave us feeling crippled and defeated.

But the Christian life requires a different way of seeing.
It demands a better way of living.

And in the coming year, we have a choice between living reactionary to every strike of the enemies sword, or to live in response to the nature and the character of Jesus Christ.

Living responsively is to know who He is and to purposefully resolve to a healthier way of living that promotes enough spiritual strength to withstand any storm proposed by the devourer.

It’s a battlefield that we are stepping out onto, and our weapon that guarantees us ultimate victory is refusing to be a slave to our emotions that aid in our destruction, and feelings that lie to us by causing us to experience unnecessary pain.

We must RISE ABOVE circumstances, living in response to who He is, not in reaction to how we feel.

He is good.  All the time.
HE is good.
He is GOOD.
ALL the time!
ALL THE TIME.

It is absolutely inconsistent for us to live contrary to the nature of the One who died for us.  To say we believe in the price He paid for us, and then deny it’s effect on our being by the life we choose to live, is abuse of our salvation.

Our privilege, as believers of the Gospel, and as sons and daughters of the Most High, is to actively demonstrate to a world of onlookers, what Jesus is really like!

And the greatest gift we can give ourselves as we head into the new year is to decide in advance to live in direct response to the nature and character of Jesus.  To remember who He is and what He has done.  And to keep it before us every day of our lives so that we don’t fall victim to destructive thought patterns that leave us weak and unproductive.

2020… let’s do this.