Lord, Teach Me to Act… Rather than React

Article written by June Hunt - Click here to listen to Heartline Podcast Episodes 30 & 31 with June Hunt

People who know me don’t see me as an “angry person.” And most of the time, I’m not. Yet, how well I remember that day.  I’d opened my friend’s desk drawer (something I had never done before) to get a few paper clips. Within a few seconds, I was staring at a letter to my dear friend, from her friend, bearing these words, written by an all-too-familiar hand: “We don’t need any more June Hunts in this world.”

I was stunned. . .I was hurt. . .I was angry! Just an hour before, the writer of these words had said to me, “June, I’m really for you. . . . I want to help you. . . . I want to support you.” (Some support!) How deeply the words cut my heart!

Immediately, I felt intense anger welling up inside me. I knew that if I didn’t find a way to reduce the pressure, I would explode onto my “friend.” So I thought to myself, I need to go outside and jog—that will release my pent-up energy.

Having laced up my tennis shoes, I walked out the front door ready to dissipate my anger through my walk/jog/walk routine. A few moments into my trek, I noticed my arms swinging higher than normal. “This is really unusual!” I said to myself.

After 20 minutes, I wasn’t feeling any relief. I had expected the jogging to be like the release valve on a pressure cooker…but it wasn’t working—the valve over my heart was stuck! In fact, the longer I jogged, the deeper my hurt. I soon realized why: I had been rehearsing, over and over, how much I had been wronged . . . deceived . . . betrayed.

Of course, the Bible says, “[Love] keeps no record of wrongs” (1 Corinthians 13:5). This I knew . . . I certainly was not helping myself.

I remember thinking, I’m not feeling any better—I have to do something else. So I started praying, “Lord, teach me to act rather than react.”  Actually, I said these words over and over . . . “Lord, teach me to act rather than react. . . . teach me to act rather than react. . . .” Soon I noticed that I was praying those words to the rhythmic pattern of my running as my tennis shoes hit the pavement.

At the end of an hour, my heart was at peace. . . . I was no longer being controlled by that debilitating sense of betrayal. Of course, the initial problem wasn’t solved—confrontation would still be necessary. But I was able to release my anger to the Lord that night, as well as the situation that caused it, trusting Him to show me what to do…and how to do it. Frankly, the next day during the confrontation, my anger did return, but this time I was able to control it rather than let it control me.

Ever since that day, when I feel a strong sense of anger, if . . . and I mean if . . . I remember to pray sincerely, “Lord, teach me to act rather than react,” God gives me His grace and power to weigh my words and speak with self-control. In fact, from my simple prayer, born out of anger, came a song—one I still sing to this day. And contained within this song are these words:

     When I feel disappointment with no soothing ointment,
and nothing is going my way,.
     When my heart has been breaking and my soul is aching,
and I have no more words to say,

    I’m not under illusion, the only solution
is die to my rights each day,

    Because Christ is inside me to comfort and guide me,
and His life has taught me to pray.

Lord, teach me to act rather than react,
     with Your Spirit in control of me.
Lord, teach me to help rather than hinder,
     with the Lord being Lord of me.
Lord, teach me to trust rather than mistrust,
     with Your Spirit inside my soul.
Lord, teach me to act rather than react,
     I give You complete control.

If anger is residing in your life, and if you’re ready to get rid of it, I pray that you, too, will make this your prayer: “Lord, teach me to act rather than react” . . . and then lean on Him for the strength to do it.

Taken from: Keeping Your Cool… When Your Anger is HOT!
Copyright © 2009 by Hope for the Heart, Inc.
Published by Harvest House Publishers
Eugene, Oregon 97402

June Hunt is the founder, CEO and CSO (Chief Servant Officer) of Hope for the Heart, a worldwide biblical counseling ministry headquartered in Dallas, Texas. June hosts two popular, daily Christian radio broadcasts—Hope In The Night and Hope For The Heart—and has authored numerous top-selling books.