2004-11-02-A Lesson on Resentment

Session

Lesson

Harboring resentment is human, but to keep harboring resentment becomes a spirit poison that keeps ‘gnawing at your spiritual stuffing,’ as it were, because you have problems in overcoming it. It provides a very important self-searching opportunity when you are constantly ‘on the lookout’ for an old annoyance that keeps surfacing in your mind. As long as perhaps long-forgotten issues can again stir up feelings of annoyance and resentment, you will need to practice more unconditional forgiveness. When something or someone vexes you, it is better to take another look, lest your spleen, gallbladder or liver give you problems later in life. There is a saying, ‘to vent your spleen,’ meaning to air your grievances -- which is not a bad idea if it is done reasonably -- as all emotions settle in the tissues of the physical system and can be traced back to some happening. We are not speaking here of genetic inheritance.

To vent in anger is sure to stir up a hornets’ nest, and from one thing comes another, and so one small thing gets blown out proportion and leaves a bitter aftertaste, which can fester as resentment. To become a spiritually free and growing person, be aware of resentment being an issue in daily life which is always on the ‘back-burner’ of the mind. It can flair up in the most unexpected places, and at times when a perceived assault on you best intentions is happening as another misconstrues or misunderstands. Human emotions tend to be very fragile, and so is the delicate chemical system on which the emotions are resting. It needs a lot of careful consideration about where you can improve yourself, and of course, I am alluding to the practice of Stillness, for God helps those who help themselves.

If you never train yourself in coming into the Stillness of your heart, how will you ever learn to listen? People seek God’s help in prayer, but very seldom sit still long enough to listen for an answer. And so many opportunities are lost due to this habit of saying rote prayers. The personal connection never has a chance to develop, especially when these rote prayers are said for you by others. It is the self which definitely needs to get involved, which is possible when another prays from the heart, and a resonance is happening in your heart. In that way a reciprocal petition is set in motion, after which a period of silence ought to ensue, to give the hearers a change to be in the Silence of their hearts.

There are way too many words on this planet -- words that lack substance while the real meaning behind the words is seldom understood. Many humans live on the surface of life, but it is a brave soul who practices honest self-examination and searches his or her soul for areas in which he or she can do better. The only way to derive satisfaction from a job well done, is the regular come into the Silence of your heart, and to renew each day your relationship with Me. I can guarantee you that you will start looking forward to these moments, free from the hustle and bustle of life, where true nurturing and unconditional love await. In looking for ‘the Pearl of great value,’ you yourself are becoming that pearl of great value, and all resentment is blown away like dust in the wind.