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PROGRAM D-7331
What’s the difference in a reaction and a response? I believe we need to know the difference in these two, because many times we are reacting when we should be responding. Jesus, it seems to me, knew exactly how to respond to people and situations, and therefore his words and actions were the right ones at the right times. If we operate out of react mode too often, we find our words and actions are frequently not the best.
Let me give you an example of reacting versus responding. Suppose you have a co-worker, and every time she opens her mouth, it seems that bad news comes out. This person never has anything nice to say about anyone or anything, and all day long you are forced to listen to her negative chatter.
What does that person do to you? If you’re in react mode, this person makes you angry, irritated, and frustrated. Having to listen to all that negative talk starts to make you think and talk negatively. That’s a reaction. It’s your automatic involuntary behavior, which is caused by that external stimuli—a negative co-worker.
However, you can decide to respond instead of react. A response might be a smile when she says something negative to you. Or you may say something positive in response to her negative words. That positive response will help to keep you from being irritated and frustrated, and it will offset her negative input by your positive one, which will keep you from getting negative like your co-worker.
Another response to this negative co-worker might be that you simply remove yourself from her company when you can, to avoid being exposed to her negativity. Or perhaps just develop a technique of quietly changing the subject!
Now, you can see that a response takes some self-control and discipline on your part. First, you have to be aware of the fact that you have a tendency to react poorly in this circumstance, and then you must have an alternate strategy to tell you how to respond, so that you aren’t reacting.
Check it out today and see how often you react when you should respond.