Read: Acts of the Apostles 14:19-28; John 14:27-31 There is something remarkable in St Paul that after having been stoned, he gets up and continues the next day with his mission. After such an experience most of us would think twice about continuing. The anxiety would be enough to put us off. Even Christ felt the anxiety before his death, but he found the strength to do the Father’s will and he gives to his disciples the gift of peace so that they too can find the strength to do God’s will when they are faced with anxiety. This anxiety is often the weapon that the prince of this world uses to deflect us from our good intentions. We become anxious about how we will be received, or if we were to try and fail how foolish we would appear before others. Then we become ashamed at ourselves, or doubtful if there is any real love of God in us. Christ did not succumb to his anxiety so all the world saw that there was love of God in him and could see that he spoke the truth. Because Christ tried to do the Father’s will in everything the devil could find no hook to use the anxiety against him. Unfortunately that is not always the case with us: too often it is our will rather than God’s that we seek and so Christ’s peace is outwith our grasp. It is when we seek God’s will that the peace of Christ will protect us.
Posted on: Tue, 20 May 2014 05:58:59 +0000