Triggers, we all have them. Like the trigger of a gun, (where the small action of one finger causes a large reaction, to occur) we all have reactive defense mechanisms that are activated by a certain word, action or tone of voice. Our reaction may be to get louder and more aggressive, or it may be to get very quiet and run away. Either way, we are headed down a path that will result in bad things happening if they go too far. Fortunately, we also have limiters, that kick in to help keep us from going too far down a destructive path. A limiter can be internal, where we tell ourselves to calm down, or it can be external, where a trusted friend whose voice we can still hear, even in the middle of a reactive situation, leads us away from disaster. Either way, limiters are important, they help keep us from doing things that (in a clearer moment), we know we don’t want to do. Of course we do have to listen to them, if they are to be effective. The third kind of limiter, is God. When you have a relationship with God, He speaks to you, and you hear His voice. In my case, it is not an audible voice, but a voice inside me that speaks with a clear head, helping me to see how to recover from a reactive situation. A voice that I can listen to, or choose to ignore. A voice that speaks the truth. I know it is the truth, because He speaks words that are consistent with His Word the Bible. Finally, there is a fourth limiter, well, an anti-limiter really. When I listen to that voice, it tells me to keep going the way I already am, becoming more and more reactive, which can ultimately lead to destruction. That is the voice I don’t want to listen to, a voice I can silence only by diverting my attention to God’s calm and clear voice of truth. You see, limiters work by changing my focus, from all about me, to all about Christ, and the amazing gift he has given us.
Tom Zimmer
