Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.
Ephesians 5:16–17 NLT
An older woman found herself acting on impulse—a lot. When things would go wrong, she’d react, and not always in a good way. She would blurt out things she didn’t really mean. Sometimes she even made issues out of nonissues. Then later—in the quiet times—she would wonder why. If she’d just taken the time to think before speaking, so many problems could have been avoided.
Can you relate to this woman? Do you ever act or speak without thinking first? If so, you are certainly not alone. Women are emotional creatures and often knee-jerk, based on emotions. We’re especially vulnerable when our feelings are hurt. We don’t always take the time to understand what the Lord wants us to do before implementing our own plan of action.
Are you an actor or a reactor? Are you a thinker or a knee-jerker? The Lord longs for us to think before we act or speak—to act on His behalf. To react takes little or no thought, but to live a life that reflects the image of Christ takes lots of work!
Lord, I don’t want to be a reactor. I want to be an actor—reflecting You in my life. Today, I give You my knee-jerking tendencies. Guard my words and actions, Father. Help me to think before I speak.
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Today’s reading was adapted from Daily Wisdom for Women: 2013 Devotional Collection with permission from Barbour Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reading was written by Janice Thompson.