What Defiles a Man?

Our reactions are our own. I was reading my devotional today, the Bible verse is:

Mark 7:15 "There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man."

According to that verse, it isn't others that may cause a reaction, it is a choice that we make. If we chose to rise above what others do, we are able to change able to see that God's ways is so much greater. That is so difficult to do, but so much better then walking in the reaction. I think it is our human nature to react, but God teaches us it can't be about what we want, but what He wants. I tend to blame others, if X didn't say that to me in that tone of voice, I wouldn't have responded how I did, but the response was a choice I made. Their tone of voice is there problem, my issue is how I respond to them. It is so easy to blame others for my reactions, much harder to say it is my choice, it is my responsibility and I need to rise above and not stoop to their level. What does God call us to do?

Mark 7:8-16 "8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”

9 And he continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe[a] your own traditions! 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’[b] and, ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’[c] 11 But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is, devoted to God)— 12 then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother. 13 Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.”

14 Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. 15 Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.”"

.

They tried to blame the human laws for there choices and Jesus made it clear that it wasn't about the human laws, but about the internal values of the men. What are we blaming for our reactions to others, is it there fault we react, or is it our choice to react to them? What is God calling us to today, is it to react or to rise above?

Today is a brand new day, allow God to change you, for change starts with you. It is not the things outside that defile me, it is the things which come out of me that defile me.