Knee Jerk Reactions

Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. (Romans 8:5-8) 

I used to think that the two groups of people described represented Christians and nonchristians. I knew better, but it comforted me to think that way. The truth is that Christians can and do also rely on the flesh. Some years ago, I got this idea (possibly from Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search For Meaning) that there is a difference between a reaction and a response. A reaction came immediately and without thought. When someone hits that spot and your leg jerks out, that’s a “knee jerk reaction.” A response requires consideration.

When something happens, a person tends to react. It comes naturally. Someone steps on your toe, you say “Ouch!” and pull your foot away, or push the person away, or punch the guy in the mouth. Later, you’re likely to forgive. No matter what the stimulus, our my preferred response is different from my immediate reaction. Viktor Frankl doesn’t express it this way, but it seems to me that his idea is to eliminate the reaction. In his teaching, one inserts consideration between the stimulus and the response.

I know that when I react, it’s usually fleshly. When something intrudes on my space or my time, rolling my eyes is the least of my potential reactions. I get more direct, less loving, joyless, defensive, snappy, less kind, less gentle. In short, the fruit of the Spirit tends to be left on the shelf as I focus on my needs, my wants, my goals. Is it any wonder I end up feeling that somehow, I’ve failed God, the people who needed me, and myself?

This is yet another reason that I ask for prayers for wisdom, direction, and attitude. Those all get left on the shelf when I most need them. I think that’s why God puts us in situations that tend to produce our fleshly reactions, so we can learn better how to interrupt the stimulus, reaction, response cycle. Life is so much better when the flesh is not in control.