“For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.” Philippians 1:21 NLT
Do you have a no-drama policy? My husband is now a pastor and was the leader of a non-profit ministry at one time. In those positions he has become quite proficient at leading board meetings and guiding those boards along the bumpy roads that come with any kind of leadership. He has had the opportunity to work closely with a lot of really quality people. A member of one of these boards once quipped a phrase that has become a policy: No Drama. It has become Tom’s goal as a leader that every problem be approached with a no-drama perspective. Those two words have brought peace and clarity in the midst of some really sticky situations. What about you?
So, what does “no drama” mean? Well, it means that I don’t let someone else’s high-emotion reaction to a situation charge my reaction. If someone else is upset about something, it does not mean that I have to be upset. No drama means I look at the problem and deal with the actual problem, not the other person’s emotions.
Here in 2021, we live in an emotion-led society. Just take a moment to think about some of the events that have already happened in this young year! So much drama! So much emotion! What if those involved stepped back and dealt with the issue at hand with a no-drama policy? What would that have looked like?
I have been thinking about the Apostle Paul a lot. From Paul we can learn the joy of a Christ-centered, Christ-focused life. We can learn to be content in this life because we are confident of the next. A heavenly focus can lead us to a drama-free life. Doesn't that sound enticing? He may not have said it like this, but Paul had a no-drama policy. Paul’s life was full of drama —real drama, not imagined or magnified. Yet his response was not dramatic. His perspective on priority informed his response and the result? No extra drama. The situations - dramatic. Paul’s response - no drama. He stayed even and focused in the midst of trouble, persecution, rejection. Why? He stayed focused on what is most important. Paul lived a Spirit-led life, not an emotion-led life.
What if you decided that you would live a drama-free life? What would it look like for you to stay focused on what really matters and let everything else fall into no-drama place? Based on Paul’s example, what does a no-drama policy look like?
For me “no drama” means that I endeavor to keep Christ my priority and, because Christ is my priority, I choose not to let other people’s reactions influence my reaction. People were upset with Paul wherever he went because they did not like his message. Was there anything wrong with his message? Absolutely not! Because Christ was Paul’s priority, his message could not be changed. If he reacted emotionally to others, what would that have done for the Gospel? His emotionally charged responses could have damaged the ability of others to hear the truth of the Gospel. Paul didn’t want to risk that. No drama. That’s the example I want to follow!
So, what do we learn from Paul about what it means to live a drama-free life?
Keep the long view. Paul looked at every issue as a temporary stop along the way to eternity. No matter what it was, even the threat of death, it was not a big deal to Paul. The big deal was heaven and being with Christ. The big deal was telling as many people as he could about Jesus. Are you keeping the long view or are your current challenges clouding the end goal?
Accept the bumps as part of life’s journey. A lot of our drama originates with the idea that life is “not supposed to be this way.” We get bent out of shape because people are not reacting the way we think they should or because a situation did not happen the way we wanted it to. Here is the bad word that you and I have to grapple with: CONTROL. When we struggle with “it’s not supposed to happen like this” what we really want is to control the situation so that it turns out the way we hoped it would. And the reason it’s such a struggle is because we obviously can’t!
Tom and I lived downstairs at my parent’s house with two small children for three and a half years. Now it’s just a sentence, a statement of fact. At the time it seemed like an eternity! Then, all I wanted was to get out of there and have a place of my own, but it was in the midst of that season that I learned how to offer the situation to God as an act of worship thanks to a message I heard by a well-known author and speaker, the late Elisabeth Elliot. She described suffering as “having what you don’t want or wanting what you don’t have” In these situations, she said that the way to respond to that suffering was offering, offer the situation to God, and worship, thank Him for His presence in the midst of it. As I began to choose that response, it took the drama out of that situation for me. It was still hard, but the change in my response brought peace in the midst of it. This is what Paul did. The result: No more drama.
Remember Who you answer to. You and I are so prone to people-pleasing, even in ways we may not recognize. I don’t consider myself a people pleaser, but if I step back and consider why I do certain things it is often because I am afraid that someone will be mad at me if I do/don’t do something. Isn’t that that people pleasing? Ultimately, there is only One that I answer to. If I remember that, it removes so much angst and upset from my life. What about you?
So, is your life full of drama? Have you considered what causes the drama? Could it be your reaction? Or maybe your reaction to other people’s emotional reaction? Like the apostle Paul, you can adopt a no-drama policy and live a drama-free life as you keep the long view, accept the bumps as part of the journey and remember who you answer to. In the end, what really matters? Is all that drama worth your energy? Wouldn’t you rather spend your emotional energy on things that really matter?
It might be a bit rough getting started, but a no-drama policy can be a tool for helping you to stay focused on the One that matters most. Isn’t that what you really want?
Blessings, Dear Friend!
Key thought: A drama-free life is possible when I make Christ my priority.
A Scripture to consider: “For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.” Philippians 1:21 NLT
A YES challenge: Think about he challenge you are facing right now. How would making Christ your priority calm the drama? Take some time in prayer and ask God to help you keep a Christ-focused perspective.
Prayer: Lord, You know my current challenges. There is so much that is out of my control. Help me to keep You at the center of my response. Give me the grace to live with a no-drama policy. Help me to experience the peace that comes with making Christ my priority. Amen.
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