Building the Right Reflexes
Bob Dees
Director, LU Institute for Military Resilience
©2015 Resilience Consulting LLC
“He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much;
and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.”
(Luke 16:10, NASB)
“Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge.”
(Psalm 19:2, NASB)
“Reflexes” refer to an automatic response or reaction. For the football players amongst us, my
football coach spent hours training me as a linebacker to respond “reflexively” to the actions of
the guard in front of me. If the guard pulls… do this, if he initiates a pass block… do that. The
decisions must be made in a split second. As a young infantry officer, I learned about “actions
on contact.” What if we get ambushed … do this! What if artillery… do that! As I became a
husband and parent, I learned the “reflexive responses” that would maintain relational health in
the family. James 1:19 teaches us an important reflex in this regard: “But everyone must be
quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger.”
Reflexes are an important part of living, of responding automatically in the right way at the right
time. Let’s dive deeper.
In Resilient Warriors, we introduced the Resilience Life Cycle© which includes the BEFORE
phase, an intentional focus on building reflexes, building resilient behavior, so that we develop
the right reflexes before the unexpected “body slam,” the untimely tragedy, the fractured
relationship, the IED explosion in combat, the life changing medical diagnosis, or the many other
ways in which we inevitably get thrown to the hard concrete of life. The last step of the
Resilience Life Cycle© BEFORE phase challenges us to develop healthy spiritual, emotional,
and relational reflexes which allow us to respond quickly and properly to whatever might come
our way. These reflexes include asking for help from God and others, saturating yourself with
God’s Word with every means available, maintaining healthy physical, mental, spiritual routines
as much as possible, drawing courage from God’s past faithfulness, and remembering your
calling to the high, noble purpose you serve.
While the steps above certainly promote readiness for weathering major trauma in our lives, as
well as helping us bounce back without getting stuck in the toxic emotions of guilt, false guilt,
anger, and bitterness, I recently realized that there are smaller, but equally important, ways to
hone our reflexes on a daily basis. The verse from Luke depicted above contains the principle:
“He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much.” Thus, we must hone our
reflexes in the “little things” on a daily basis. You may have other ideas, but here are my top
three morning reflexes, my “day starters,” which ensure readiness for whatever challenges or
opportunities the day may bring, whether small or big:

PRIORITIZE — Matthew 6:33, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and
all these things will be added to you.” Hone the reflex of seeking first. As a first order
of business -- even before exercise, or the news, or that first cup of coffee -- draw nigh
unto God and He will draw nigh unto you!
Building the Right Reflexes
Bob Dees
Director, LU Institute for Military Resilience
©2015 Resilience Consulting LLC

PRAISE — Psalm 19:2, “Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals
knowledge.” Hone the reflex of gratitude. Marvel at His goodness to you and those you
love. Maybe the day is “cloudy”… the Lord gives, the Lord takes away, blessed be the
name of the Lord! Loosen your grip on self-focus and self-expectation; wait expectantly
on the Lord. How did He “reveal knowledge” to you even while sleeping? Will you be
expectantly listening as He “pours forth speech” in the coming day?

PRAY — In Romans 12:1-2, Paul provides our daily mission statement as followers of
Jesus: “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a
living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
2
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your
mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable
and perfect.”
Romans 12:12, a follow up on verses in which Paul tells us “how” to accomplish this
excellence in Christian living, simply exhorts “rejoicing in hope, persevering in
tribulation, devoted to prayer.”
This “devotion to prayer” must start in the morning and continue through the day. Prayer
is our spiritual firepower, the artillery that will chase away spiritual opposition, soften
difficult challenges, and set the conditions for a successful day in the Lord. Just as no
good infantryman would consider attacking an enemy objective without first using
artillery, so no resilient spiritual warrior should ever march into a day without focused,
sincere, penetrating prayer.
May each of us build the right reflexes, day by day, being faithful in the little things so we are
ready to be faithful in much. Ready and Resilient! God Style!
Put on your thinking cap.
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Respectfully in Christ,
Bob
Bob Dees
LU Institute for Military Resilience
www.LUOnline.com/IMR
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Building the Right Reflexes
Bob Dees
Director, LU Institute for Military Resilience
©2015 Resilience Consulting LLC
The next Institute for Military Resilience (IMR) Webinar entitled
“Marks of a Great Military Chaplain:
Caring for the Warrior’s Soul”
will be presented by Chaplain (Colonel) Steve Keith from the Liberty University Center for
Chaplaincy at 8 PM on Thursday, April 9, 2015. From the webinar promotional content:
Chaplain (Colonel) Steve Keith, USAF Retired, D.Min. – Active duty Air Force
chaplain for over 30 years with multiple deployments into harm’s way, former
director of the Armed Forces Chaplain Center and Commandant of the Air Force
Chaplain Corps College, and current Director of the Liberty University Center for
Chaplaincy – is presenting our next webinar, seeking to best prepare chaplain
students to provide soul care for those they serve.
See you there for a powerful time of unique insights into
caring for the warrior’s soul.
Register at http://www.liberty.edu/IMRWebinars