Panic Time!!

The snap seen by so many last week will more than likely been seen as the “tempo” set for the Broncos that fateful Super Bowl night. It gives us a glimpse into our parenting and marriages. Less than 12 seconds into the game, the first snap was a mis-communication between Peyton Manning and his center and from that point on, it seemed that panic ensued.

So what does this have to do with raising children or building strong marriages? Trust me, it has so much to do with those two facets. Let’s see what the end result of Super Bowl 48…Seahawks 43   Broncos 8. It was suppose to be the perfect match-up, the best defense against the best offense. Instead, due to many miscues and admitted panic by Denver’s starters, it ended up being a complete meltdown and destruction of the Broncos.

Are ya getting a picture? In our relationships, we so often will choose to press the panic button at the start of conflict. We seldom slow down and take a deep breath. We choose to react to the situation at hand instead of interacting with the problem and asking God to guide us to His solution.

Jonathan McKee, president of The Source for Youth Ministry and equipper of parents and Youth Ministers everywhere, will so often encourage parents to, “Interact…don’t Overreact.” It’s a great and simple message, not only for parents but for husbands and wives also.

How many times do we find ourselves overreacting to something that was said or done by our children? How about an insensitive comment from a spouse? We revert to survival mode and lash out as a defensive mode and after the fall-out has settled, the damage is done.

Let’s look at King Hezekiah. A man who truly loved God and feared God. Yet, when the threat of war by Assyria fell on his ears, he panicked and gave into fear and try to “buy off” the Assyrian King. Even then, the King of Assyria decided to attack. Hezekiah then went to the Temple and prayed to God. At that moment, he chose to interact with God, not overreact to the threats of the Assyrian King. (2 Kings 18,19)

So here’s my challenge for each of us. What event in the near past did you overreact to? What was the result? Is there someone you need to go seek forgiveness from? Now, take time to pray and ask God to grant you the ability to stop, listen and understand the situation around you, before reacting to it.

Again, let’s Interact and stop Overreacting…