Thought
We live in a wooded area full of squirrels, and our dogs chase the squirrels quite often. Every time they see a squirrel move, they take off after it. They do not have the ability to think before they respond. The squirrel stimulates them; they chase it, waste a bunch of energy, and very seldom strike gold.
Did you realize as humans, we are the only animals who have the ability to think before we act?
Frankl
In his book, Man’s Search for Meaning, Victor Frankl, a psychiatrist from Vienna, wrote about the key to his survival in the Nazi death camps during World War II. He learned that man could find meaning in all forms of existence, even in the horrific circumstances he faced during the Holocaust.
In his book, Frankl explains the critical nature of controlling our space between stimulus and response. He details the fact that we are getting stimulated by various forces throughout the day, but regardless of the stimulus, we have the ability to think before we respond.
Between the stimulus and the response, there is a space, and in this space lies our power and freedom. Â ~Victor Frankl
Solution
How we handle our space between stimulus and response (Stimulus —> Response) will determine the course our life takes.
Some questions to ponder:
- How many “squirrels” do you chase each day?
- How many of your actions are “reactionary” and cause you to waste precious time?
- How many times do you act on impulse and end up saying, doing, or thinking things that are not pleasing to God?
- How many of your actions are actions formed from beliefs you developed many years ago, and you’ve never challenged them?
- How many of your beliefs are lies?
Thinking takes energy, but it’s energy worth taking.
Years ago, I decided to try my best to have God occupy my space between stimulus and response…things go a lot smoother when I’m able to make this happen…whatever occupies my space usually dictates what I chase.
Coming Clean
Oh, by the way, I’m not where I need to be with all of my responses…ask my wife how I responded when I jammed the tailgate of my truck into a tree a couple of nights ago. 🙂
Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
P.E.A.C.E.
Jay@EagleLaunch
Additional Scripture: Â Proverbs 19:2, Romans 12:2
