So here’s my theory. If we can learn to have better reactions, we’ll have better relationships. Now, obviously, Jim, you have taught me that we need to shift from reactions to responses. And that is 100% true. And at the same time, right when our happy gets bumped or right when something goes on that triggers pretty strong emotion in us, typically we’re going to have an immediate type of reaction.
So today I want to talk about how better reactions can lead to better relationships. that initial emotional response that we have. But also, I want to unpack how our feelings are great indicators, but should never be dictators how we act and react. You know, our character is managed in how we act. But our character is often revealed in how we react.
And this is a biblical principle. Basically, what we have stored up in our heart is what will eventually come out of our mouth. Yeah. So it is important that we tend well to what our previous reactions have revealed about things that need to be addressed in our heart. So Joel, I know you always have some great theology.
So, I’m going to let you um give us some biblical wisdom about reactions, and then I want to help you determine there’s four reaction types, and I want to help you determine what reaction type are you with different kinds of relationships in your life. So, let’s start with the theology today. Yeah. So, I think all of our reactions have to be rooted in some type of um framework.
There’s got to be something that motivates that reaction. Um, and often when we don’t have the right source as the motivation of that reaction, then our reactions will end up in extremes, you know, and I know we’re going to talk about that here in a bit. Uh, but I want us to take us back to what God’s ideal is for our reactions and where they should actually be rooted.
Um, and we’re going to look at a passage of scripture, actually two passages of scriptures that um, are quoting each other. And there’s some interesting Greek and Hebrew language stuff I’m going to do just, you know, surface level to uh to get excited a little bit about uh what the implication is for this. And it’s a verse we’ve actually already looked at in a previous episode.
So, we’re going to look at Deuteronomy 6:es 4-5 once again. And it’s the Shama. And um Lisa and Jim, we talked about in a previous episode that this was the foundational verse u foundational teaching that the people of God always communicated to their children. You know, it’s like we all have um verses that you put uh as a uh you know statement on a coffee mug, you know.
Um I think little Israeli kids were walking around with this in their in their coffee mugs. They probably couldn’t drink coffee, right? But if they did drink coffee, this is guarantee there was nothing printed on the coffee mug. Yeah, you know, right? That’s right. Exactly. But just follow with me. This is this is the idea. This is what um this is what it says.
It says, okay, and remind us of the verse one more time. Deuteronomy chapter 6:es 4-5. So it starts this way. It says um listen Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And then it says this, love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. So remember, if our reactions are going to be rooted somewhere, what the Shama teaches us is where our hearts and minds and our um our souls, our strength, like like the whole of what makes a human a human, what it should be rooted in is love for God. Right? Now,
there’s a little little detail. I actually think that um sometimes, you know, got people who play checkers, people who play chess. Um Jesus I think is often walking around in the New Testament reminding everybody by the way I created both checkers and okay so Jesus actually quotes Deuteronomy 64-5 in Matthew 22 37-4 and in Matthew 27 uh 37-40 uh Jesus says he said to him um this person who’s speaking uh to Jesus he says love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul and with all your mind this is the greatest and most important
