Psalm 25.12
“Who is the man who fears the Lord? Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose.”
E + R = O
Event + Response = Outcome
This is the nature of the world that God has created, and he calls you to respond to the stuff of life with wisdom. God calls you to “Manage the R.”
E+R=O provides a simple but powerful system for the application of scripture to any situation you face. It is a mindset first, and a skillset second. There are four components to the R Factor mindset. I will share each of the components this week. Here is the first:
1) You do not control Events.
- Every day you will experience a variety of events that will challenge you. These events include problems, opportunities, changes, and other people. Some will be enjoyable, others will be frustrating. Some will be exciting, and others will be monotonous, routine, even boring. You are not exempt from having to deal with the challenges and complexities of life.
- You have the power to influence the situations and circumstances of your life, but you do not control them. You can exercise influence to the best of your ability, but there will always be things outside of your control that you will have to deal with.
- In your life you will encounter both adversity and opportunity. It’s not a matter of if, it’s only a matter of when. As James says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1.2-3)
- Tomorrow’s events are created by today’s outcomes. If you want to experience better events in the future, then you must start producing better outcomes today.
- It is a waste of time and energy trying to control events or trying to control other people. Instead, you should invest your energy to seek to understand the situation and how best to respond. In other words, seek the Lord’s wisdom.
“For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints.” (Proverbs 2.6-8)
