Action/Reaction

Paul begins this section with a strong statement in v14, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse...” He fortifies that thought again in v17, “ Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.” Just as they do today, these statements also ran counter cultural in Paul’s day. The normal human reaction to any hurtful word or action has always been to strike back with at least as much if not more force; especially if we feel we’ve been justifiably wronged. “Bless and do not curse?” Really? But think about this; the times you’ve given in to negative reaction, how did it work out for you? Did it end well? Were relationships restored? And most of all was Christ glorified? Probably not.
 

Many times in counseling I work with people on an exercise I like to call “Action/Reaction.” I use it when couples or individuals have issues with conflict resolution or anger. When someone says an unkind or hurtful word to us, (or perhaps someone cuts us off in traffic) our initial response is to use what I call a twisted version of Newton’s Law:  For every negative action, there is an equal or more hurtful reaction. (Yes I made that up) This method is not only an unhealthy relationship practice, it can also be deadly. When we hear stories about “road rage” gone wrong it is often because someone reacted very negatively to a traffic issue that could otherwise have been avoided. 

Through this exercise, I try to help people understand that the actions of life are unavoidable; there will always be someone to “persecute” us with words, to make rude gestures or treat us unfairly. Sadly enough it is usually by those closest to us. But how we choose to react to those situations can make the difference between having a stronger relationship or cleaning up a trail of collateral damage. 

Culture tells us to strike back, to retaliate when we are wronged, but when we look deeply into Romans 12 we see that being reactive actually runs counter to the “Transformed” life we’re being called to. We are instructed to not conform to the ways and patterns of this world. Difficult? You bet! But it is a part of the process of a spiritually transformed life.

Brothers and sisters, we are called to a higher road, a more profound way of life. We are called toward a transformed life of faith in action. Let’s guard against those reactive habits and allow the Spirit of God to transform us into the salt and light that God wants us to be.

P.S. Did this blog get a reaction out of you? I hope so. :)

- Jimmy Garison, Family Care Pastor