There is a virtue addressed in the language of psychology and theology referred to as “a non‑anxious presence.”  This virtue can be learned, but it is most representative of what we call the peace of God.  This is the peace that — as Christians — we are to give the authority to rule in our hearts because we were called to be at peace.  And this is the peace of the world which represents not just the absence of chaos, but the presence of community.  This is the peace represented by the presence of Christ which exhibits no fear because we’ve trusted all things into God’s hands.  This is the absence of anxiety because we know who has the power to make a way out of no way.  This kind of peace is represented by the presence of contentment because we have nothing to fear, knowing that God is in control of time and eternity.  This is the kind of peace that Christ leaves with us — a peace that is completely unruffled because of our unswerving trust in God to take care of us in all situations.  The song says, “Be not dismayed what ‘ere betide, God will take care of you.”  And it is that overarching faith that God will take care of us that allows us to have a peace that passes all understanding.  That is the peace that occurs when we are living within the Spirit of Christ.

• Recall a time when someone raised the anxiety temperature in a room because they were fearful and expected the absolute worst thing to happen? What did you do to bring peace into that situation?
• What do you believe is necessary to be a “non-anxious presence” is any given situation.
• Usually telling someone, “It’s going to be alright.”, doesn’t offer any peace. Are there things you know you can do to offer peace to a chaotic situation?

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
God of peace, help me to be a non-anxious presence when chaos and fear seem to be overtaking a distressing situation.

         On or about May 13th in the year 2000 on a Saturday afternoon, 13-year-old Michael Hirshbeck quickly put on his Cleveland batboy uniform and then went looking for his friend.  That friend was Roberto Alomar, the second baseman for the Cleveland Indians.  When he found him, the teenager gave Roberto a big hug.  This hug was incredible, especially since four years before, Roberto Alomar spit in the face of Michael’s father, John Hirshbeck.  That ugly moment had been put behind them as Roberto and Michael’s father, John, worked together to raise money for ALD (a rare degenerative brain disease that took the life of John’s 8-year-old son in 1993.  They said, “Maybe God put us in this world to help somebody beat this disease.”

         Warm fuzzy moments like that help us to feel good about what goes on in the world.  But in reality, none of that could have happened had it not been for the simple, yet complicated, act of forgiveness.  Forgiveness is a power that tears down walls, brings people together, invokes the power of reconciliation and promotes unity of Spirit.  Perhaps that’s why Jesus told Peter that there is no limit to how many times we must forgive others.  We must do it so often that it becomes innate to who we are in Christ.

         Forgiveness is a Godly virtue that has been extended to us by God in Jesus Christ.  And because we’ve received forgiveness and are now living within the Spirit of Christ, we must offer forgiveness to others — not to receive forgiveness for ourselves — but because it is a virtue of the new life we’ve received in Jesus Christ.  It’s probably the most difficult virtue to learn, but it is the most rewarding gift we can offer anyone — the ability to be set free from their sins.

• How easy or simple has forgiveness been to offer in your relationship with others?
• Have you ever experienced the power of forgiveness, either offered or received by you?
• What value does forgiveness have as a virtue of our Christian faith?
• Do you seek forgiveness in trying situations or is it easier to just let it drop? If you just let it drop, does real forgiveness actually occur?

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
Loving and merciful God, grant me the power and the Spiritual willingness to offer forgiveness to those who may have sinned against me for no other reason than it imitates You.

         It’s the desire of every child in the adoption system to have someone they can call their family.  And they want that not just for a day, a weekend, a month or a year.  It’s something they want forever.  The issue for many comes in actually feeling as if they’re a real part of the family, and how to understand the transition from being an outsider to a full-fledged member of the family.  God has taken the necessary requirements to ensure that those of us who were outside of the Jewish connection would be fully received because of the faithful work of Jesus Christ.  Jesus’ work through our faith in him removed the stigma of separatism to include everyone who had faith in him on an equal level.  Because of him, the separatism between races, clans, cultures, ethnicities, and other means of separation have been erased.  Christ has broken down the walls of division so that everyone by faith can be included, creating a greater opportunity for unity among all peoples, nations, and tribes.  This unity has opened the door for all people to live within the Spirit of Christ.  And not only that, but to put on the virtues of Christ that enable us to all be children of God through faith and practice those virtues that others may be welcomed into the family also.

• In what ways have you experienced the removal of dividing lines between people because of people living within the Spirit of Christ?
• How has this adjustment changed you in ways that make you more like Christ?

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
Gracious and loving God, I thank you that You have included me in Your family, breaking down the division wall between me and others and making us all one.