“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. “ – Philippians 4:7 (NIV)

It is disgusting.  The thing is yellowed and tooth marked.  It reeks of dog breath because she’s spit it out and picked it back up so many times.  Yet, no matter how gross and smelly and slobber-laden, our puppy keeps going back to that nasty chew bone.  And she keeps gnawing it.  And gnawing it.  Really turns my stomach.

For the life of me, I cannot see the attraction of that sticky, stinky dog bone.  But then I think of the stinky dog bones I tend to return to.  We all have them.  For some, it is a past sin they cannot forgive themselves for.  Perhaps a past hurt, a friend or loved one who betrayed, a divorced that scarred, a slight that pierced.  Maybe it was an insult hurled or painful rejection.  Maybe it is simply the feeling of not measuring up to expectations, or an anxiety that just won’t go away. 

Today, I want to ask you – and I ask myself as well – when are you going to quit gnawing on that stinky dog bone?  We just go back out of habit.  We keep returning to the issue and mulling it over in our minds, as if figuring it out will bring relief.  It won’t.  It’ll just get nastier.  It’ll just get stinkier.

The time has come to give up the anxiousness.  Whatever the issue is, give it to God.  Find the joy that comes from knowing Him.  Understand that the peace Christ brings is accepted by faith, not logic.  The reason: to our minds, the love, peace, mercy and grace of Jesus are illogical.  How could someone so perfect possibly love someone so flawed?  He does.

He loves you.

Let today be the day you bury that nasty old dog bone out back.  And don’t go digging it up later.