1100) As is true with all people, I have a weakness that rarely stands me well. I am a “reactor” more than I am an “actor”. It’s almost as if my reactions don’t even clear my brain (though science shows they do). Something happens and, boom! I react.

As is true for most things, there are times being a reactor is good. When an emergency arises, I am right there. This works well on the playground with my students. At other times, my penchant to react first and then act second has caused me problems. I have to work hard to place a brief gap of time between what happens and how I react and, as many of you know from experience, this is not an easy thing.

Besides the fact it’s often better to act than react, Paul tells us in Philippians 1:12-14 he knew others watched how he handled stress and the harsh treatment he received since his conversion to Christianity; that he could act first rather than react caught peoples’ attention. It encouraged them to discover why Paul could do this, and it gave Paul an opportunity to share what God had done for him.

Our lives are always on display for others; we need to make sure we are modeling what we say we believe.