It is not our circumstances, but how we deal with them, that makes the difference. Generally speaking, people respond to life in one of four ways.
First, there are reactors. Think about balls on a pool table. What happens if you just leave them there? Nothing! Pool balls do not move until they are acted upon. Reactors are like that too. They take no initiative. Instead, they wait until they are hit by something and then they respond.
This perceived lack of control over their circumstances frustrates them and so they go through life yelling at everyone and being mad about everything.
Another approach is to conform. These people do not feel that they are in control of their lives either, but instead of getting angry, like the reactors, they respond by blending in.
They are like a stick in a stream. Rather than choosing their own direction, they just go with the flow. These people often feel like their life is empty because no one really knows them.
A third response is to become an independent. This group’s primary thought is, “I do not need anyone.” Independents live on the fringe of everything. They have many acquaintances, but no real friends. They are like the lakes of northern Saskatchewan, which are part of our province, but are so isolated that they have no real effect on anyone.
Of course, independents struggle with loneliness. We are not designed to live by ourselves or for ourselves.
The last option is a life of engagement. The idea here is that we are here to do something important and make a difference. Jesus echoed this thinking when he said, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working” (John 5:17).
We, too, can become involved with what God is doing. By engaging with his plan, we find a purpose and we can help to create something beautiful and eternal.
So, let me ask you: which of those four categories describes your normal response pattern?
If you fall into one of the first three categories, something needs to change. A life of reaction, conformity or independence will never produce anything that is joyful, balanced or beautiful. We need a better approach.
“Godliness has value for all things… both the present life and the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:8).
