What’s Your Default Setting?

I'm sure we've all had to deal with "default settings" on some of our electronics. For example, if our cell phone is having issues, and all else fails, we’re told to reset it back to the default or factory settings. On our computers, our fonts or our margins are programmed to the default setting, until we change them. The same is true with our web browser – we may have Google or Yahoo as our default browser until we change it.

The question is “What is OUR default setting?” Most of us live on our “programmed” default setting, which oftentimes, isn't so appealing. For example, we may be programmed to be negative, a criticizer, a complainer, a blamer, a loose cannon (hot tempered), fear-ridden, and so many other default settings that need to be reprogrammed. What I’ve come to realize is that our default settings can be reset. I know that because my default settings included many of those attitudes I just described, but once I recognized those were not the settings that God chose for me, and that I could be reprogrammed, I purposed to make changes.

Here’s how to determine what our default setting may be. For example: If a pressured situation occurs, what would be your default setting? Would you get uptight? Panic? Do you get angry? Nervous? Hyper? Do you yell? Act forceful? Or, do you remain calm? Are you in personal control? Do you rationally assess the situation? Do you stop and take everything into consideration before reacting?

Yesterday, I heard a great message on gratitude and how, if it is our default setting in every situation, then all else can be over-ridden. Gratitude helps us to reset our mind to think positive and not negative. Gratitude helps us reset our heart to be fixed on what matters most so we won’t be fixed on those things that matter least. Gratitude helps to reset our mouth to speak life and not death, and gratitude helps us to reset our eyes to see the best rather than the worst.

Good news: As operators of our own system, we can override our natural default setting. And, we can help others do the same as we set the example for living in the love setting, the joy setting, the peace setting, the patience setting, the kindness setting, the goodness setting, the faithfulness setting, the gentleness setting and the self-control setting. Hmm! Those settings sound very much like the Fruit of the Spirit, and those are settings that we can purposely RESET to the Factory/Manufacturer’s (God, the Creator’s) settings. Consciously, developing the habit to RESET when we catch ourselves outside of the Gratitude and Fruit of the Spirit settings….will eventually cause our DEFAULT Settings to be God’s settings consistently. That's what I call growing fruitful from the inside out! Ready to hit that RESET Button?

2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation: old things are passed away; behold, all things are made new."