1st Samuel 25:1-17; 1st Corinthians 3:1-9
A lot of people have gotten into serious trouble because the failed to think before reacting. I am talking about a reaction that is accompanied by anger. Some people are fun of giving this excuse whenever they react with anger: “that is the way I am.” But I believe that if the way we are, gets us into trouble, then we should try and change. Imagine the trouble that Nabal would have gotten into because of his reactions towards a simple request from David. He would have been slaughtered; together with his family.
I have come to realize that the reason we sometimes react in anger without thinking, is because we are still infants in the Christian life. We allow our sinful nature to control us, and live like people of the world. We fail to realize that jealousy is having a strong grip on us, and that is why we quarrel with each other and react angrily, even during a friendly conversation.
Nabal, in our first reading: 1st Samuel 25:1-17, never stopped to consider that were it not for David and his men, he would not have been rich in sheep and goats. He just lashed out at David’s men because he was crude and mean in all his dealings. And that is how some Christians behave; they never stop to think about how helpful their fellow Christians had been to them, they just React harshly when confronted with certain issues.
We just have to change. We need to depend on Jesus to transform us. We need to study His word daily and ask the Holy Spirit for help, before we do things that might become catastrophic at the end. Thinking before reacting can only be possible if our hearts are filled with the word of God and the Spirit himself directs our thoughts.
May God help us to fill our hearts with His word, which will direct even our thoughts, so that we rely on Him, and always think before we react, in Jesus name. Amen. God bless you
Papa Mbos 