----- Original Message ----- From: "TruthMedia Women's Devotional" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Gwen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, September 23, 2008 6:44 AM Subject: Womens Email Devotional - Tuesday September 23, 2008
: : : REACT OR RESPOND? : : : by Gail Rodgers : : **When things heat up, it is easy to respond in anger. How do you respond? http://thelife.com/study/angrywithoutsinning.htmll?section=angrywithoutsin : : Susan yelled at the kids. She didn't like doing it but it seemed to be happening a lot lately. She sat down for a cup of coffee after supper. A Bible verse on the back of a magazine that was with today's mail caught her eye. : : "A soft answer turns away anger but harsh words stir it up" (Proverbs 15:1). : : She thought about her own responses lately. She knew she often used the stirring spoon of harsh words and raised voice and needed help to put a soft response in its place. She knew she needed to be firm at times but with a gentleness that God could give her. : : We need to keep our focus on modeling Christian character, yet we are all dealing with daily life and its challenges too. Here is a simple exercise that can help us move from "reacting" in our own lives and circumstances to "responding" in the character of Jesus. : : Grab a child's hoola-hoop, stand in the middle of it and hold it around your waist. There...that circle that surrounds you represents your area of control. It is your own thoughts, your feelings, your ideas, your passions, your decisions, your words, all that you are responsible for. : : Now envision a second larger circle outside the hoola hoop. This is the circle that represents other people's thoughts, emotions, decisions, passions, ideas and words. You have no control here, only influence. : : Think about what's been happening this week inside your hoola-hoop. Have you been reacting to life's pressures with the stirring spoon of harsh words, raised voice or angry tones? Are thoughts or emotions spiraling you down? : : Invite Jesus into the areas of life where reactions are abrasive. He will give His strength where yours is weak. Then you will be less inclined to reach into the next hoola-hoop and try to control the decisions, ideas, words and feelings of others. You will be more aware of the gentle influence you can have when you "respond" with Jesus' help rather than "react" in your own sandpaper humanness (Galatians 5:22). : : Tend carefully what is happening in your hoola-hoop and be less concerned about what is going on in others'. It will enable you to walk in a freshness of spirit that will impact and influence all your relationships. : : ~Lord God, Help me to turn my reactions into chosen responses by the power of Your Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name, amen. : : Questions: Are you aware of your reactions? Do you need to invite God into your hoola hoop of life and fill your responses with His grace? : : About the Author: http://talk.thelife.com/experience/devotionalforwomen/authors/gail-rodgers/ : : : Comment on the devotional blog. Interact with others who are reading today's devotional. Visit http://thelife.com/blogs/experience/devotionalforwomen/2008/09/23/react-or-respond/#comments : : Copyright : This devotional is protected by copyright laws and may not be reprinted or posted to a site without permission from TruthMedia Internet Group. All readers are welcome to forward the devotional to a friend or link to it. If you would like to seek permission to reprint the devotional in full, please see our guidelines: http://tmdevotionals.com/women/reprint-permission/ : : : : ----------End of Newsletter Text---------- : You are currently subscribed to the TruthMedia Daily Women's Devotional as [EMAIL PROTECTED] : To unsubscribe send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] or visit http://www.tmdevotionals.com/unsubscribe and fill in the required information. : : Feel free to forward this devotional to a friend. If you received it from a friend and would like to subscribe, visit http://www.tmdevotionals.com/subscribe and fill in the required information. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Internal Virus Database is out of date. Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com Version: 8.0.169 / Virus Database: 270.6.21/1674 - Release Date: 9/16/2008 8:15 AM --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Deaf-Blind Inspirational Life Group" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/DBILG?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
