Scripture
Our verse for today comes from Matthew 26:51, “And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.”
Background
Competitive swimmers and runners use the acronym PR to refer to their personal record (or PB – personal best) in a particular event. While we may be able to watch them compete on television and compare their results against the WR (world record) or AR (American record), more important is the athletes’ efforts each day away from the cameras to keep lowering their PR times through long hours of practice. They know that any chance of success hinges on a steady track of improvement, and so every PR they accomplish is a step in the right direction. I may have just set my own PR. Recently I was told something that bothered me, and I was able to wait nearly three weeks for it to settle within me before I took the steps to address it. To be sure, I was more than ready to respond immediately to what I heard. I had been wounded, and someone needed to hear about it. But this time, my emotions and my impulses did not rule the day. I allowed for God to work through prayer and discussion to bring about a resolution that I hoped would be pleasing to Him. It was not easy. Waiting and wondering rarely are. But it was much more God-honoring and far less regrettable than flying off the handle and having to apologize. Allowing the Holy Spirit to demonstrate His fruit always is.
Application
Peter, on behalf of Jesus, was put on the defensive. And he responded in a sudden way. Unless we are saving lives from imminent peril, doing things suddenly has a way of not ending well. What contributes to our demise is the same thing that overtook Peter. We don’t see the situation as Jesus sees it. Our pride rears its head, or our feelings get hurt, or our preferences aren’t met, and we think that’s the whole of it. And suddenly, we’ve made an ugly mess. And our messes can be far worse than cutting off an ear. So, resist the impulse to react suddenly. Include God in your response time and see how differently things can turn out. See God honored as you wait on Him.
Charge
As we seek Him today, ask God to slow you down, and allow Him to work in you to accomplish more than what you would have suddenly.
Rich Holt / Originally Published on : BCWorldview.org
Also published on : Medium.com.
