4:162 – Small Events, Big Reaction

#faithbites #faithjourney reaction

Setting

Today I went to my office for the first time in 15 months. It was a bit eerie because of time, no one being there, COVID, and the unknown of the future. We are moving buildings, coming back in some form or another to the office, and getting new leadership. I was a bit anxious about going and when I stepped in the elevator, I had a near panic attack. My heart was racing, I felt nauseous, and dizzy. I had no idea why I had this strong of a reaction to a place I had been in for years. After packing up my office and coming home, I napped to see if that would help. The answer was no. That reaction was still with me.

We all react differently to different stimuli. Sometimes the reaction is immediate, other times delayed. In my case, and this happens a lot, I suppress the reaction and then a minor even triggers a huge reaction. It’s a proportional reaction if you added up all the small events.

Today’s Questions: How can we handle the small reactions with the small events rather than surpress them? How can we give peace to others and not judge them on whether we think their reaction is proportional to the event?

Scripture

• Ephesians 4:26-28 – Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.
• Romans 12:10 – Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

Reflection

Just a short reflection today. Our two verses point to the two parts of this situation. The first is when we react and the second is how we treat others.

We see that we can be angry and can react as long as we don’t sin. Having feelings and sharing them is not sinning. The problem comes when we bottle them up and explode. For me I’ve had explosions where it’s rage as well as explosions of anxiety like today. They aren’t healthy. Finding better ways to handle it are.

The second is how we honor and love others. When we see someone blow up and think they are being a drama queen or over reacting, we need to stop and think about it. Do we know their whole story? Do we understand what they are going through? If the answer is no to one or both of them, which unless you are God you don’t know the whole story, then we need to give them a break. We need to honor and support them. And yes, after the reaction has passed we can talk to them about it. Not accusing them but finding out how we can help.

For me, I was not expecting this reaction. It is unsettling at best. Through prayer, medicine, and help, I will be ok and better able to handle this next time.

As we close, how can you help yourself to react sooner rather than let it build? How can you help honor others without judging their reactions?

Prayer

Father God, I pray for peace and comfort. So many, including myself, are going through so much. Between the pandemic, work changes, live changes, fianances, and more, we are stressed. Many of us have bottled up our emotions and are exploding. We ask for your comfort and guidance in processing these feelings. Lord we also ask for help in how we react to others when they react. Let us be kind, loving, and comforting for them. We pray all this in your name, Amen.