Romans 12.17-18
“Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”
The discipline for pausing and thinking is powerfully communicated in this verse. The Greek word used here for “give thought” is pronooumenoi, which is a combo word that comes from pro (before) + noieo (to think). It literally means “to think before” or “to consider in advance” or “look out beforehand.”
This is E+R=O. It is R Factor. Scripture tells us directly: Be disciplined. Press Pause and think before you respond. Look at the situation through a kingdom lens and give thought to what response would be honorable.
Clarity of vision drives quality of response. Pressing pause means using time—a split second, a few minutes, a day—to increase your situational awareness. In simple terms, it is thinking before responding, but in a more disciplined and skillful way. Your first reaction is rarely your best response. Press pause and use the E+R=O system to see with clarity and respond with discipline.
Here are some coaching tips:
- Clarify the E and the O before you choose the R. If you aren’t clear about the E and the O, you are not in a position to choose the R.
- Be strategic, not reactionary. The outcome is primary. Manage the R with the O in mind. Many people have a tendency to choose their response without being clear about the outcome they actually want.
- Generate options, and choose the Response most likely to produce the desired outcome.
- Think through consequences and likely outcomes of whatever action you are considering. Think about consequences before you act, because you will experience the consequences after you act. Don’t equate the delay of consequences with the absence of them. (Note: Default doesn’t consider consequences, or doesn’t care.)
- The most effective Response may be something that is difficult and challenging. Don’t use avoiding discomfort as your reference point for doing or not doing something. Clarify what needs to be done and do it. Don’t equate having to make a difficult choice with not having a choice.
When you build the Press Pause habit into your life, you will spend far less time in default mode and much more time in discipline mode. Life is full of moments of impulse. Pressing pause helps you convert those impulses into moments of intention and purpose.
