By David ReayWednesday 4 Jun 2014LifeWords DevotionalsFaithReading Time: 0 minutes
Transcript:
Read James 3:17-18
17-18 The wisdom that comes from God is first utterly pure,then peace-loving,gentle,approachable,full of tolerant thoughts and kindly actions,with no breath of favouritism or hint of hypocrisy. And the wise are peace-makers who go on quietly sowing for a harvest of righteousness-in other people and in themselves. (JBP)
When we think of the subject of anxiety we usually think of our worrying about what is happening or might happen in our lives. We become overcome by threatening circumstances and lose our focus on God. But there is another important dimension of anxiety that can cause us and others problems.
When we are at any sort of gathering,whether it be business or social,we can be an anxious presence. We can raise the temperature of the meeting,we can stir up trouble,we can,through our own anxiety,cause others to become anxious. If groups or families call in a mediator or conciliator they expect that person to be a non-anxious presence. Not in terms of stifling conflict,but in terms of providing more light than heat in the situation.
If we are deeply involved in a certain situation then we can’t just presume to become instantly detached and objective. But we can aim not to bring our anxieties to the fore in such a way that it further heightens the tension. We can,with God’s help,incarnate the sort of wisdom that James speaks of in our passage. At the very least,we can aim to be the least anxious person in a room swamped with anxiety.
Blessings
David Reay