Our Proactive God | Divine Diaries (Jan 13, 2025)

“Don’t be reactive, be proactive. And definitely DO NOT be inactive.”

Of course, I’ll try to live my life by that advice, but even with the Holy Spirit saying this to me over and over again since the beginning of this year (which definitely just began a few days ago), I still find it difficult to, you know, obey.

But He is right.

Reactive vs. Proactive

Whenever a situation arises, I tend to react to it rather than proact (I know, that’s not a word, but still …)

When I typed into Google the definition of proactive, this was the first thing I saw:

Creating or controlling a situation rather than just responding to it after it has happened.

In many instances, I was prone to react to situations rather than be proactive about them. Being reactive meant that I allowed my emotions to guide me. I allowed stress and frustration to manipulate my thinking, and thus, I allowed that situation to control me rather than the other way around.

Instead, God was asking me to be proactive. He said if I was placed in a situation I did not like or a situation that upsets me, I had a right to express my emotions about it, but that did not give me the right to offload that frustration onto others.

Instead, it gave me the opportunity to create the change I wanted to see: to take charge of that situation and participate in its solution.

Knee-Deep in Inactivity

On the other hand, if I wasn’t being reactive (or even explosive) about something that deeply hurt me, I tended to deactivate. I would withdraw myself from that situation and allow it to fester on or dwindle down without giving input.

I was quick to shut out rather than attempt to see how I could get a solution that worked in my favor. With that, I often found myself angry, isolated, and stressed. I recently asked myself what’s different about me right now.

I could, if I wanted to, be an outgoing person and I can be quite friendly and approachable. It’s true that I, most times, need some time to reflect and recharge, but I’m also someone who loves to form deep bonds. So, I struggled last year trying to understand what was ‘wrong’.

And then it hit me.

Somewhere and somehow, the fear of being rejected began to grow too deep and too large. So deep and large in fact, that I didn’t initially think it was rejection—I just assumed that’s how I was, but a part of me wanted to be active, wanted to speak, wanted to reach out.

I was just afraid that I would be ignored or, worse, berated.

Because I was so deep into this constant world of ‘playing it safe’, I’d have so many thoughts, ideas, and things I wanted to say that just went unsaid because I was afraid. But time and time again have proven that my voice mattered, and each year, I’ve been steadily trying to find little ways to make my voice heard.

Silence is Useless if God isn’t Heard

We were taught to be silent, but silence is not always the answer. The Spirit revealed to me that what He desires for me to do will require speaking, but not speaking on my terms—His.

In fact, for this year, my resolution is to be more like who God called me to be. I’m not to be the complainer or the back-bencher, or the one who gets envious when others are stepping into their calling. Rather, I am to be a leader, a person who makes things happen, and a dependable and trustworthy person.

Last year ended with a small-town Canadian scholar showing up on the radar because of a debate between him and a well-known influencer named Billy. Wes Huff inspired me and showed me that dedication to God’s work will always end in God’s glory.

But more so, I saw an inspiring story of someone who spread the Gospel with the very little that he had until God allowed him to share that same Gospel with a platform larger than he could ever possibly ask for.

I don’t know why it made me happy to see that he was able to reach such a wide audience when, quite literally, a few months ago, no one even knew his name. I think there is something in that for me. I think that there’s something in that for all of us.

Stand Still…

The lesson here: don’t react to the circumstances that compromise your faith and your values. Don’t underestimate the power that God has given you to take charge of each situation in your life. And always remember that God is there to fight your battles when you give it all to Him.

Our task isn’t to react to anything but rather to stand still and know that HE is God.

Signed,