React or Respond?

As life would have it, we’re in a lot of situations every day where each of us can do one of two things, react or respond.  I guess, pretty much, that comes down to every given circumstance, every given situation in life. Things present themselves on a daily, if not moment by moment basis, and when we’re faced with these choices. How am I going to either react or how am I going to respond? There is a difference, and you’ve lived long enough to have experienced exactly what I’m talking about. We’ve done both things. We’ve reacted and we’ve responded.

It’s so cool that God has given us the ability to really respond according to a new standard. That we no longer have to react with the five senses, with those emotions, feelings, thoughts, and attitudes that are part of the old nature. We can respond now with the word of God, the love of God, the goodness of God, the greatness of God, and the spirit of God. God has given us that divine connection to be connected with Him so that, in those situations where a response is needed, we have the great source of life, the great source of all power, the great source of all creation. God is our Father and He loves us so much.

Something I’ve recently been looking at is a term known as  “situational awareness.” I don’t know if that is a term you’ve ever heard. I guess it’s a relatively common term in some circles but it’s pretty new to me. It’s defined as “the ability to perceive, understand, and effectively respond to one’s situation. It involves comprehending a given circumstance, gathering relevant information, analyzing it, and making an informed decision to successfully address any potential rise, hazards, or events that might occur.” Now that’s a pretty technical definition but basically it’s having perception with the understanding then knowing how to respond to any given situation. REACT or RESPOND?

The Bible is loaded and packed full of all sorts of situations where people had to come to that point where they had the awareness that God was involved in that situation, or they were needing Him to be involved in that situation. Without going into a lot of detail, you can automatically begin to think. How about about Joseph? He found himself in some precarious circumstances and situations, but God didn’t leave him. He didn’t desert him.  With Abraham, God was very patient waiting for him to respond. Noah, Moses, David, Paul and on and on and on and on throughout every book of the Bible basically, there are situations and circumstances and then the testimonies of what followed.  REACT or RESPOND?

In some cases, they didn’t have a real great awareness of the consequence of the decision that was being made in that moment. David and Bathsheba is a perfect example because he had a choice in that moment but he lost his perspective and  because he was just so caught up in his lust for Bathsheba, the desire of the flesh just overwhelmed any sound choice that he might make. However as time went on he was able to recover. REACT or RESPOND?

In Acts Chapter 16 there’s a situation and a circumstance that shows a great example of what I would call “situational awareness.” The ability to really perceive, understand, and effectively respond to one situation.

Acts 16:16-18 New International Version

¹⁶ Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. ¹⁷ She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” ¹⁸ She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.

Would you say that’s a great example of situational awareness? He had this awareness and the greatest reality and awareness was, was that it was a spiritual situation. He had the tools to be able to respond effectively. It says, “In the moment, he used the name of Jesus Christ and commanded the spirit.” It says, “At that moment, the spirit left her.”

Acts 16:19-21 New International Version

¹⁹ When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. ²⁰ They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar ²¹ by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.”

Acts 16:22 New International Version

²² The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods.

Let me tell you, this was not a pleasant situation, obviously. None of us, for the most part that I know of have been stripped and beaten with rods and then thrown into prison and then have our feet put in stocks. Most likely they were probably even thrown into an inner prison. But you know what? They had a presence of mind that even though they just had the you know what beat out of them, they had “situational awareness.” REACT or RESPOND?

Acts 16:23-25 New International Version

²³ After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. ²⁴ When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

²⁵ About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.

It says, “About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God. And the other prisoners were listening to them.” They heard it.

Acts 16:26 New International Version

²⁶ Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose.

It doesn’t even say they were praying to be loosened from those chains. It doesn’t say what they were praying about. It just says that they were praying, and they were praising. Praising, because praise confuses the enemy. He’s not expecting that and the other people there too, the other prisoners, they were listening.

And it says, “All at once, the prison doors flew open and everyone’s chains…” Everyone’s chains, not just Paul and Silas, everybody’s chains came loose. “And the jailer woke up. And when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, ‘Don’t harm yourself. Don’t commit suicide. We’re here. We’re all here.’ The jailer called for lights. He rushed in, fell trembling before Paul and Silas. And he brought them out and he asked, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ And they replied,” Verse 31, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.’ Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night, the jailer took them, washed their wounds, and then immediately he and all his household were baptized.”

Does that mean they were baptized in water? Well, it doesn’t really say what they were baptized in. But I think from a greater scope of understanding from the scriptures, we understand that when a person accepts the Lord Jesus Christ, he is fully immersed, he is baptized. And at that point, receives the ability to manifest the spirit of God, which was recognized on the Day of Pentecost by speaking in tongues.

Verse 34, “The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them. He was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God. He and his whole household.”

Talk about situational awareness. Here these guys are in a horrendous situation, but they had the presence of mind and the heart to pray and sing praises in the middle of the night. Probably pretty darn dark in there too. And then all of a sudden, bam, the supernatural showed up. And this occurrence happened in a moment of time, and the end result became fruitful.

Verse 35, “When it was daylight, the magistrate sent their officers to the jailer with the order, ‘Release those men.’ The jailer told Paul, ‘The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now, you can leave. Go in peace.’ But Paul said to the officers, ‘They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and throw us into prison. And, now, they want to get us rid of us quietly? No, let them come themselves and escort us out.'”

Who would’ve thought? These weren’t things that Paul had pre-thought. But in the moment, he, by the spirit of God, walking by revelation in this situation, got the words to speak. They were really standing up for themselves. They weren’t going to take this laying down. He said, “No. No, they wanted to get rid of us quietly. No, no, no. Let them come themselves and escort us out.” And the officers reported this to the magistrates. And when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed. And they came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city. After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and sisters encouraged them. Then, Verse 40, “They left.”

We have a great, big, wonderful God. We have rights and privileges in every given situation and in every given circumstance. I truly believe there is always an answer. God is speaking. God is working. He will work with us in any given situation and in any circumstance. We have a choice.

REACT or RESPOND?

Here’s an acronym to remember at least one way to respond.

P. PROPER

R. RESPONSE

A. ALWAYS

I. IN

S. SITUATIONS

E. EVERYWHERE

Father God, you’re so kind to us, the way you watch over us, take care of us, help us, guide us, lead us, teach us, feed us. And you whisper so quietly and gently to us Father, that it only encourages us to want to go to you even more. Thank you that we can learn from things like this example of Paul and Silas. And that as we’re put in life situations and circumstances, we too can respond with a heart of thanksgiving and praise and just have expectation that you’re just going to work miracles on our behalf. We love you, God. We thank you for your kindness and goodness and gentle ways with us. And we pray in the name of your son, Jesus Christ. Amen.