Ephesians 4:31

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.

Have you ever nursed a grudge? The question is ridiculous because all of us have at some point in life. My experience has been that there are always going to be things that make me frustrated or angry, but the difficulty comes with the nursing part. Feeding my hurt and anger by rehearsing the story (aloud or within) of my grievances really gets me to a bad place fast.

Many times, we focus on simply removing the injury of our wounded hearts. But that removal brings a newly opened space...and the negativity can easily come back.

I would challenge myself and you to replace the injury with something life-giving. I started to think about the phrase: nursing a joy. What does life look like when I feed my joy and thanks, rehearsing the story of blessing? Here is an experiment or assignment: Pick something from your life, something that brings you joy and gratitude, and nurse it. And when the anger, frustrations, and grudges of life want to take control, rehearse your joys instead. I pray it gets you to a good place fast and keeps you there.

Pastor Chad Riggs