In the first two parts of the discussion regarding the pearl we’ve addressed in “the lost pearl” the need to rediscover worth and in “cast not your pearls amongst swine” we’ve dealt with the need to understand who and how we should share the best we have with people who come into our lives. We’ve also discussed the need to compartmentalize/accurately define the roles each person plays in our lives. Roles they play based upon the facts and the truths and not our own thoughts as to how people so emulate our behavior. So now we look deep into the pearl, paying close attention to its development. We pay close attention to all that goes into making it and may it also be with us. There are some things about us that we cannot control and things that we have nothing to do with its development; such as our skin tone, our sex, the color of our eyes, the shapes of our physique, our height, or the texture of our hair. I am sure you can look into other components of your life and identify other things that are inherited, a part of your DNA. Then there are the things that we can control that help develop the pearl, the uniqueness about ourselves. For example:
- You can control what goes into your body, every element.
- You can control your weight.
- You can control your attitude and all that goes into the development of it.
- You can control who enters into your life and who remains in your life.
- You can control what toxins you allow in your life that poison your system. These toxins are not just environmental elements or substances, but they are also words from other people, and they are other people.
- You can control the education you receive and within that you control content.
- You can control your spiritual growth and spiritual development.
The greater conversation is are you willing to control those elements and help develop “that”, that is the essence of YOU?
There is plenty that has happened to in your life and you are feeding off of those things. Things such as:
- You never knew your father or he doesn’t love you and from there you’ve decided no man will ever love you.
- You were raped or molested from there you’ve decided no man will ever want you because you are tainted goods or worse you now want nothing to do with any man because you don’t trust them.
- You had an abortion and you haven’t been able to forgive yourself.
- You have not been able to have children and from there you’ve decided that you are half rather than a whole women.
- You have been physically abused by all the men I’ve dated, whether physical or mental so to protect yourself you’ve decided you want nothing to do with men or even worse you’ve decided there must be something wrong with you that make men abuse you.
- You feel you’ve never been loved and from there you’ve decided it must be because you are unlovable.
- You’ve been hurt by Christians, you’ve been disillusioned from the churches you’ve attended so you want nothing to do with Christian’s.
- A loved one has died who you felt was a good person and you’re angry at God for allowing them to die. You are disillusion by this God is who is supposed to be so loving.
You can continue to add to this list of the things that have happened over your life time and really begin to glean why your value has seemed to dissipate and you will also see what power you removed from your life that has shaped that timeless pearl. Unfortunately that timeless pearl has been shaped into a counterfeit, not the real thing. You have allowed life to beat you down, to disillusion you, to confuse you, to hurt you, to discourage you, to steal your joy, your dreams, and your goals by failing to realize that none of these things in your life definitively define YOU!You must decide starting today that you are in control of your life. You must declare today that no one, but God can define you. You must forgive yourself for anything that you’ve done that has harmed others or estranged you from God and seek God’s favor in your life. You must embrace your life as one with great purpose, great promise, great joy, great reward, and great outcomes as you play an active role in its journey. You must look at the things that have happened to you, as hurtful as they may have been, and decide today that no longer will you give anyone the power to hurt you, define you, or control you (except of course the Holy Spirit).
You must trust that God has a plan for your life that is just for you. One of the hardest realities is that desire to understand why you had to live through the things that you have had to live to you. My comfort to you is that in God’s perfect plan He has allowed things to happen in all of our lives to develop us individually into the unique timeless pearl we are. Never look at areas in your life that may not have developed as it has for others and rejoice in the fact that God has used your caring nature to love, mother, educate, encourage, and enlighten others. Do not allow the worlds ways to drive your expectations - let’s God’s promises guide your future. Stand up for yourself and you will stand up for others. Set standards in your lives and others will follow. Know this without a doubt that if we delight in God He will give us the desires of our hearts. You must clearly understand what it means to be a delight. When you embrace that God is sovereign, that He is all knowing, that He truly has set forth the plans for our lives, and that He is truly ordering our steps and we are deeply entrenched in His word learning and loving on Him, then our desires are His desires and we will receive everything that He has ordained for us.
So I say to you today, say good bye to those who have hurt you and forgive them. It is by your forgiveness of them that you can move forward bountifully in the Lord. Refuse to intimately allow anyone in your world who does not want the best for you, guard your heart and your mind zealously and see life through the lenses of the Holy Scripture and take the stand that no weapon formed against you will prosper because you serve a God who has promised that He would fight your battles. You dearest are a timeless pearl, you are truly fearfully and wonderfully made. God knew and knows exactly what He’s doing regarding you. So remember if you concern yourself with the things of God He will concern Himself with your things.
Tune in tomorrow for the closing article “The Complete Strands of Pearls”.
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