How have you reacted lately? You can probably pat yourself on the back if you choose to remember the reactions consistent with who you want to be and what’s most important in your life. You can also thump yourself over the head is you choose to recall the reactions inconsistent with who you want to be and what’s most important in your life. You can rationalize in either direction and end up going nowhere.

Hit refresh and consider a new and more accurate perspective. You don’t get to decide whether your reaction is appropriate or not. What you deemed as an appropriate reaction a decade or two ago likely differs from the reactions you esteem today. The value you assign to a reaction will change as you grow, and since you should always seek and value growth, reactions should change as well.

Stop relying on your own definitions and perspective. Only God assigns consistent, accurate value to your reactions. How he guides you will change, not because he changes, but because you’re growing in a relationship with him. Different reactions will be required as you grow. Different reactions will be required with different situations. God will prompt you to stand up at times, sit down at others, speak up sometimes, and shut up more often than you probably prefer. Listen to him. Take a deep breath before you react. Do life God’s way.