Push Out the Irritants
Do you know how a pearl is formed? Most people know that a pearl comes from an oyster; however, it isn’t just “luck of the draw” or random chance that a pearl is inside. In fact, that little oyster has to do a lot of work and endure quite a bit of hardship during the making of that pearl. And the most amazing part of the process is that the oyster’s goal isn’t even to make a pearl. The oyster’s goal is to survive.
See, a pearl is formed when a single grain of sand or some 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 to the oyster, causing it to produce a lacquer-like substance called nacre. The oyster secretes the nacre to cover over that irritant in order to protect itself. It constantly works to shield itself from that irritant. Those layers of nacre coat the sand granule, eventually sealing it away and forming a gorgeous pearl.
In our own lives, offense is just like that grain of sand. When someone says or does something that offends us, it is as if they put a grain of sand in our oyster. And just like the oyster, we need to learn how 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 hearts, they will cause us to become bitter and lose our joy and enthusiasm for life. We must learn to insulate ourselves from offense and keep our hearts pure. We need to take those negative things, give them to God, and allow Him to produce the priceless pearls our lives are meant to be.
He who covers and forgives an offense seeks love… (Proverbs 17:9, AMP).
See, a pearl is formed when a single grain of sand or some 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 to the oyster, causing it to produce a lacquer-like substance called nacre. The oyster secretes the nacre to cover over that irritant in order to protect itself. It constantly works to shield itself from that irritant. Those layers of nacre coat the sand granule, eventually sealing it away and forming a gorgeous pearl.
In our own lives, offense is just like that grain of sand. When someone says or does something that offends us, it is as if they put a grain of sand in our oyster. And just like the oyster, we need to learn how 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 hearts, they will cause us to become bitter and lose our joy and enthusiasm for life. We must learn to insulate ourselves from offense and keep our hearts pure. We need to take those negative things, give them to God, and allow Him to produce the priceless pearls our lives are meant to be.
He who covers and forgives an offense seeks love… (Proverbs 17:9, AMP).