A “bit” is a word; it’s a contraction for “binary digit”, and it’s the basic unit of information in computing. However, there is an older understanding of the word “bit.” Before people travelled the digital roads of the virtual world, they used to get around on horses. In that context a bit is a device one puts into the mouth of a horse, to be used with a bridle, for giving various kinds of directions to the horse. The bridle is laced around the horse’s face and attached to the bit, which goes into the horse’s mouth and rests on a sensitive place next to the horse’s teeth. When the rider pulls on the reigns, the bit exerts pressure inside the horse’s mouth, and that is what makes a trained horse turn this way and that.I happened to be travelling recently, and I had a layover in New York for seven hours. I started reading Psalm 32. That was written by King David after his offence of having an affair with the wife of one of his military men, and then sending that man to the front lines of war where he knew he would be killed.David wrote, “When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer…”He was convicted and felt guilty about what he had done. When he confessed to God what he had done, he experienced forgiveness and so then he went on to write that everyone ought to seek God before the flood of the crisis overwhelms them. He could speak from experience that that was not a good place to be.Then, the point of view changed in the Psalm, and it was God Himself speaking through David and saying,“…I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;I will counsel you with My eye upon you.Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding;Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check,Otherwise they will not come near to you…”I had read that section many times before but it had never really dawned on me that what God is saying there is about the relationship He wants with people. I used to read those verses and think to myself, “Don’t be like the horse or mule who needs a bit and bridle to follow the direction of the Lord and do His will.” That was more about performance in general how to be a good Christian and do what you’re supposed to do.That’s not what it was actually saying though. God said that He wants to teach and counsel and He wants people to come near to Him. He wants people to come to Him on their own initiative and to invest themselves in a relationship with Him. In the context the implication is that God will put uncomfortable circumstances into the mouths of people who don’t do this so He can turn them in the way He wants them to go, so that He can turn them toward Himself and so that they can come close and learn from Him.For some reason, sitting for hours in the airport in New York, that was reassuring to me. Perhaps I was having a “bit and bridle” experience. Perhaps I realised that I might cut down on the frequency of such things if I just took the initiative to spend time with God. I don’t know what it was, but I felt more at peace.Peace of mind has been associated in the research literature with the use of contraceptives for those worried about getting pregnant and the use of global positioning systems (GPS) for caregivers trying to track people with dementia. It is a broad concept. Peace of mind has also been the result of addressing spiritual matters within the context of psychological nursing for the terminally ill. In the Journal of Advanced Nursing, volume 66, number 2 (February, 2010), Esther Mok, Frances Wong, and Daniel Wong explored the effects of addressing spiritual issues in terminally-ill patients. The abstract of their article (“The Meaning of Spirituality and Spiritual Care Among the Hong Kong Chinese Terminally Ill”) indicated that meeting…“… a patient’s spiritual needs is a fundamental part of holistic nursing care. In the Western literature, spirituality is related to connectedness, faith, and hope. Contemporary scholars in the West suggest that spirituality is a broader term than religion. Method: Phenomenological interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of 15 terminally-ill Chinese patients in 2007. Findings: Participants found the term spirituality an abstract concept and described it as a unique personal belief which gives strength and relates to meaning of life. Spirituality is integrated with the body and mind and is a multidimensional concept. The acceptance of death as a process in life and ‘letting go’ leads to serenity and peace of mind. Other important themes include how the meaning of life is derived through relationships and connectedness, self-reflection of responsibilities, and obligations fulfilled. Inner spiritual well-being is attained from having faith and knowing possibilities in life and after death. Participants did not expect nurses to provide spiritual care, but when quality interpersonal care was given it gave them strength and [was, sic] spiritually supportive. Conclusion: If healthcare professionals can provide a compassionate and loving environment that facilitates acceptance and hope, the spiritual life of patients is enhanced. For dying individuals to experience love and for them to be understood as valuable even when no longer economically productive are both experiences of healing.” (APA PsyInfo Abstracts)Spirituality and psychology are not ultimately separate domains. That is because human beings are whole, in the sense that the ultimate concerns of spirituality are felt, needs people experience emotionally and around which they have psychological experience. Peace of mind for instance, like forgiveness, has been studied by both the spiritually and the psychologically-inclined. In my work with people over the last 40 years I cannot think of two more earnestly sought after or highly prized objectives than peace of mind and forgiveness. Certainly, this is what King David learned when he pulled the bit from his mouth and came before God with all his blemishes intact, to receive forgiveness, to refine his relationship with God, and to know peace.