Goodness Gracious: 14 Unfiltered Devotions for This Sometimes-Too-Serious LifeSample

Our Presence Affects the Present

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger. JAMES 1:19 ESV

Confession time: my husband and I enjoy pizza arcade nights with the fam (don’t laugh). Seriously though, it’s fun to watch our kids have a blast, and the childhood nostalgia makes it a joyful experience. One day (since I’m clearly a mature adult), I hopped on a Jurassic Park game and started shooting some virtual velociraptors. Suddenly, a loud, curly-headed kid ran up to my vibrating chair and grabbed the toy gun from my hand. “I want to play! It’s my turn!” the little guy said. His dad quickly pulled him away, but about ten seconds later, the same thing happened. “It’s MINE! Get UP!” the kid aggressively shouted. He was zeroed in, focused, and wanted to play that dinosaur game, like now. At first, I started feeling angry. Listen, bro, can I just be a kid for like three minutes? I thought. But thankfully, grace swelled in my heart; since I’m a parent myself, I knew the frustration that father was feeling. Goodness gracious, raising kids can be hard!

How often, though, do we forget how our presence affects those around us? We get so wrapped up in our own circumstances that we forget how we share space with others. When we’re loud in places where silence is appropriate, it affects those around us. When we’re foolishly arguing in the comments section on social media, it affects those who read from afar. When we rudely express displeasure about our meal at a restaurant, it affects those sitting beside us.

In order to be a good example as believers, we must be aware of the position of our hearts. When we think before we speak, listen before we respond, and practice self-control in every circumstance, peace thrives within us and those around us. Of course, there is no better example of this than Jesus. His presence always left people feeling better than they did before. Thankfully, our heavenly Father loves us so much that there’s grace when we mess up. Use today as an opportunity for your presence to bring life to those around you!

God, I want to be a walking example of joy and peace. Help me to be conscious of everything I say and do. Amen.