Transcript:

So growing up, my dad was convinced that I would catch rabies if I dared look at a stray dog.

It became a bit of a running joke in the family. I'm not sure my dad thinks it's funny, but it's funny.

So when I came across a story the other day about a man in France who was bitten by a rabid dog, you can bet I was reading it.

The story went that he had been bitten by this dog, and it was way before there was a treatment for rabies. And when it was confirmed that the dog was indeed rabid, the doctor told the man he only had a short time to live.

When he heard this, the dying man asked the doctor for some paper and a pencil and then commenced to furiously writing.

After a few minutes, the doctor interrupted and said, if you're writing out your will, you don't have to rush because you still have a few days.

The patient turned to the doctor and said, I'm not making out my will. I'm making out a list of all the people I'm gonna bite before I die.

Can you relate?

When people have hurt us, it's easy to want to bite them, to want to retaliate.

But what do you do with those feelings?

The real feelings of anger that make us want to punish and retaliate. The kind that make us sort of wish we had rabies so we could bite them first.

I need you to know that your feelings aren’t sin, it's what you do with those feelings, that's important,

But what do you do with those feelings in real life?

2 Corinthians 10:5 is where we start.

God is very clear.

We are to forgive those who have hurt us.

So we have to take those feelings, be they rage, hurt, hatred, and take them directly to God.

We have to cry out to Him to help us make our feelings obedient to what His Word says.

Here's the thing, you don't have to say flowery or pretend prayers to God. He already knows exactly what you're thinking. He knows exactly what you're feeling.

And when you go to God with your honest feelings, and unforgiveness and bitterness and sorrow and all those things, He tells us He will help us. And God keeps His promises.

And you stay there. You stay at the throne of grace until those feelings subside. And when they come back, because the feelings will come back, you do it all over again. And then you do it again, and you do it again until God slowly but surely changes your heart.

Martin Luther said,

“You can't keep the birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair.”

Taking every thought captive keeps that nest away.

Your Charge For Today:

Your charge for today is to take your thoughts and feelings to God to help you forgive that person in your life. that seems impossible to forgive.

Because here's the thing. We don't want rabies here.

We're here to offer love and encouragement and to walk out our faith in an authentic way.

All right, my friends go take on your day.

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