Be Reasonable!

Reason is a way of thinking characterized by logic, analysis, and synthesis. It is often contrasted with emotionalism, which is thinking driven by desire, passion, or prejudice. Reason attempts to discover what is truebor what is best. Reason often follows a chain of cause and effect, and the word "reason" can be a synynom for "cause".

An underdeveloped sense of reasoning is unable to disassociate itself from the actions or words of others. This person has remained in the child-like realm of egoism. A child perceives that everything and everyone revolves around them. They suppose that all actions and words are a direct result of their presence.

As reasonable adults, we should be able to disassociate ourselves from the behavior of others. If a person deviates from their normal behavior pattern, an underdeveloped sense of reason will instantly analyze the situation from a personal standpoint. For example, they will say, "This person has never really liked me. I wonder if I've said or done something to offend them. This person has always been out to get me."

On the other hand, a reasonable person meets with a deviated behavior pattern from an impersonal standpoint. They say, "This person has experienced a stressful situation before meeting up with me. This person is having an emotionally challenging day. This person is experiencing difficulty at home or work." They immediately reason that the cause is not personal.

Anger is one of the main oppositions to reasonable thought. Anger is an emotional state that may range from minor irritation to intense rage. Some view anger as part of the "fight or flight" brain response to the perceived threat of pain. Anger becomes the predominant feeling behaviorally when a person makes the conscious choice to take action to stop the threatening behavior of another outside force.

An underdeveloped sense of reason will come to the conclusion that a change in behavior is personal. Because of this, their brain immediately expects imminent emotional or physical pain. Then, anger begins to rise as a defensive response to the possibility of pain. Once anger is present, all reasonable thought is gone. The fight or flight response is in total control.

Christians have an advantage on most people. The Spirit of God dwells in our hearts and minds. The Bible says that God is all-knowing. If this is so, then we should be able to rely on his guidance to make reasonable conclusions when dealing with others. His compassion and love should lead us to examine the offensive person in a non-personal way. We should ask ourselves, What is really bothering them? What can I do to help?

Just remember, people have deep, emotional problems that have nothing to do with us. People are basically the sum of their life experiences. One little word or action could trigger a devastating memory or feeling causing them great pain. It is our job to stop and consider them on a deeper level. Their behavior is usually a result of something far deeper than we could ever imagine. And...usually...it has absolutely nothing to do with us.

In the end: I think that we should consider one another through the eyes of God. We should look deeper for the cause and try to ignore the effect. People are precious and need our help and understanding.