the princple of forgiveness

a pearl is formed when a single grain of sand or a tiny foreign particle is lodged inside an oyster . if left alone that tiny particle will cause damage to the tender mollusk. the particle is an irritant, causing the oyster to produce a lacquer - like substance called nacre. the oyster secreted the nacre to cover that irritant as a means of protecting itself. it constantly works to shield itself from the irritant . those layers of nacre coat the sand granule, evenly sealing away the irritation and forming a gorgeous pearl. offense are just like that grain of sand - when someone says or does something to us that offends us , it is as if they put sand in our oyster. while the oyster always knows how to deal with it's grain of sand , we too need to deal with the offenses that irritate us. throughout our lives, unfair things will happen . people will let us down, they'll say things that hurt our feelings,and they won't always treat us the way we think they should.

if we allow those offenses to take root in our heart, they will cause us to become bitter and lose our joy & enthusiasm for life. we must learn to insulate ourselves from offenses and keep our hearts pure. one of the keys to loving your life is learning how to take those negative things and give them over to god and let him produces the priceless pearls out of them in our own lives. one thing i find interesting about the oyster is that it doesn't let much time pass before it begins to cover the grain of sand with nacre. it doesn't let it linger at all. there 's a good lesson in that for all of us. if we allow offenses to hang around they will cause damage that can be nearly impossible to reverse. the result can be devastating . we have to recognize when our thinking is moving in the wrong direction. if were not careful, we will get caught up in our own self - pity and despair.

if we dwell on those thoughts long enough, we will take ownership of destructive attitudes that will distract our thinking and hinder our life. if we don't address the little things in our lives, they'll become big things and rob us. so often people hold on to bitterness and resentment , ( i have done this myself ) thinking that they're stockpiling ammunition against the person who hurt or offended them ; as if one day they'll have the chance to get even. or perhaps they are holding on to the evidence because they think they'll get their day in emotional court. the truth is ; if you don't choose to forgive , the only person being punished is you ! unforgiveness is like a barrier that actually blocks your heart. we gotta remove that barrier , fling that door open, release all that pain and hurt to god and make room for some healing.

why don't you release all that pain today? let go of all the offenses and give them over to god's power and love. you can accomplish so much more when you allow forgiveness to fill your heart. it is then that the door to your heart will be open and you will have made room for god to release his healing in your life ( sorta like the book say' s" i will make all things new ")forgiveness isn't about agreeing with what the other person did or excusing it . it doesn't mean the incident didn't matter. it simply means that you are trusting god and allowing him to move you past your hurt and your pain. some people think they can't forgive, because it seems too difficult. but in reality, it's more difficult for us when we choose not to forgive. our bitterness is not hurting them , it's killing our love inside and keeping us from gods spirit. i've heard forgiveness is setting the prisoner free and then realizing we were the prisoner all along. it's important to recognize that forgiveness is more than mere words. it's a heart attitude that induces a spiritual transformation

there maybe times when you have to ask god to help you release those offenses that created the unforgiveness and bitterness in your heart. sometimes we just don't feel like it, but i encourage you today, if someone has wronged you and you still get that cringing feeling on the inside when you see that person or think about him, take it to god and allow him to keep your heart clean. remember no ones offending words or deeds define who you are or affect your value.

god, i don't feel like i can forgive them, but iam asking you give me the grace and the strenght to help me forgive . i know what bitterness has done to my life and resentment too. i do have a heart and do love deeply and am giving you whats still there and am giving to you the situation and the people involved. your my source for everything and am asking for your help , so i can live free . and enjoy your spirit of love within me. amen.............if we are going to change any part of our lives, we have to start on the inside. remember , it's not what happen to you but whats happening in you that matters the most.......a word from victoria osteen on " forgiveness" from the book- " love your life."