Hey PPN Family,

I am currently rereading Stephen Covey’s bestselling book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and it has been a real blessing. The first habit that Covey defines is to be proactive rather than being reactive. In Stephen’s words, “Reactive people are driven by feelings, by circumstances, by conditions, by their environment. Proactive people are driven by values—carefully thought about, selected, and internalized values.”

Reactive people tend to blame their situation and circumstances on others, but Covey explains that proactive people, “do not blame circumstances, conditions, or conditioning for their behaviour. Their behaviour is a product of their own conscious choice, based on values, rather than a product of their conditions, based on feeling.”

To be reactive is to have a victim mentality where we are powerless against the negative influences of the people and the circumstances around us, but to be proactive is to claim the promise of Jesus in John 8:36 that no matter what challenges, problems, struggles and sins we may be dealing with – He can set us free.

In other words, Jesus makes it clear that our best life does not have to be put on hold until the people and the circumstances in our lives change, we can start to experience our greatest life now through the power of the Holy Spirit. This is the essence of the declaration that Jesus made in John 10:10 (NIV) that, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

God bless,

Roland Talamaivao-Amituanai