Triggers are things that happen to you from the outside world that cause an automatic response.
What triggers you? Someone cuts you off at the red light? Your wife tells you to do something during the football game? So many things trigger a reaction. The question is, “what is your reaction?”
I knew some Special Forces operators once, a long time ago. When a gunshot would go off, my reaction would be to duck and cover, but, theirs was to turn, form a plan and then move toward the shot. Same for a firefighter, the alarms goes off and they run to the truck. Look at all the first responders in the Towers on 9/11, the alarms sounded, people scrambled in a panic to escape. They stopped, formed a plan and moved into the danger. Why? Courage? That has a lot to do with it for sure. Some are just built with heroic natures. Mostly, though, it is training. Those Green Berets and Rangers trained until their reaction became nature in the firefight. The fireman trained that when they heard the scream for help from within the smoke, they turned to rescue.
It is the same with our faith. When someone cuts you off, don’t flip them off. Train yourself to pray for them.
When work gets too hard or the people around you are difficult to work with, teach yourself to give glory to God and praise Him.
Praise and thanks are the keys to joy. Train yourself now and often to turn to God in prayer and to praise Him no matter what. If the sky is falling, give thanks to God.
Teach yourself to react to your triggers in a Godly way.