A question I have been asking myself often is, "Am I reacting to life or creating opportunities and situations?' Well, the words creating and reacting have the same letters but a world of difference in meaning. This also is true of the words reactive and creative.
The word reactive talks about living life reacting to circumstances and situations. It is greatly influenced by the current affairs, current circumstances, current pressures and never able to really change situations and live differently. Most people who spend time whining and complaining tend to be very reactive. In contrast, people who are creative look at their current situations and begin changing and altering these in order to line them up with theirr goals and where they know they need to be going. Rather than complain as a reaction to their surroundings, they seek to change situations. They create solutions, transform circumstances and many times, it's not just about them. They help others to.
Think about Jesus and His disciples (Mark 4:35-41), they were caught up in a life threatening storm. The disciples panicked and begun doing all they could to save themselves. They woke up Jesus in desperation, complaining why He was still sleeping while they drowned. Jesus wakes up and "creates" a new environment and then turns around to rebuke the disciples for lack of faith. In other words, He was simply telling them, "You did not need to panic and react to the storm, you should have changed the circumstances by creating a different set of conditions by faith".
Sounds simplistic but when we pause long enough to consider our lives, we begin to realize that most often than not, we behave like the disciples. When we are in trouble, we fret and cry and complain. We seek out friends to help us rather than turning to God first. We complain about the things that are wrong in our current challenges, current circumstances, current troubles and never get to ask ourselves, how can I change all these?
To change from being a reactive person to a creative one, we need to always seek the All creative God for His help, wisdom and guidance. God has an unlimited number of ways of dealing with and changing any situation. He is the Almighty and omniscient God. Remember, nothing is impossible with God.
The second thing to do in order to be a creative rather than a reactive person is to set goals. It is important to explore the days ahead and prayerfully set goals of what we want to accomplish in the days ahead. When challenging situations come, those who have clear goals keep on going and are able to deal with the current challenges and still accomplish their goals.
When we live each day seeking God's will and guidance and pursuing our goals, the current challenges and situations begin to change as we create rather than react. It is my prayer that you will lift up your eyes from the current and begin to forge ahead pursuing God's will for your life. Don't let the current stop you from being who you were meant to be and from pursuing that which God has for you. Financial challenges, high cost of living, relationship troubles and whatever else you may be facing should not stop you from living in God's will. Victory is yours if you will rise up by faith to create rather than react.
Blessings