If ever tempted to resent the actions of another person, it’s much easier to love them instead.
Resenting is hard work. It’s taxing, burdensome, onerous, troubling, and painful. It covers up one’s otherwise pleasant demeanor and can become a monumental waste of time and energy. No good comes from it.
The wiser choice is to love.
Love is a divine power that corrects misunderstandings, finds common ground, builds bridges, looks for good, and gains the upper hand.
Love does not overlook evil and pretend like it is not there when an offense has been committed. Love faces evil fearlessly and dissolves it. Love takes control.
Reflecting the Mind of Love, rather than dropping into an abyss of negativity, keeps thought in a positive place. It keeps us feeling good, buoyant, joyful, and healthy!
Love is power. Love is authority. Love is dominion.
There is never a requirement to resent. We can respond with love.
Choose love! It’s the easier way to live.
What a marvellously uplifting, joyful start to my morning! And one which will be useful all day and every day. Thank you, Evan – and thank you for all of the rich insights and ideas you share.
Love always brings us together, builds strong bonds whereas resentment can break good relationships.
It takes a long time and lots of love to build and maintain good friendships..but it doesn’t take much time to ruin a good relationship if we hold grudges or resentment.
Resentment comes from nurturing our ego. When God is the only I AM, we His children need to be humble. If we are humble and loving we are only open to love, resentment has no place in a consciousness filled with love.
When love is always a better choice, why not adopt love instead of resentment in our life?
Thanks Nergish, very well describe! Love is the best medicine because it is power like Evan states and it’s impersonal,
The picture is beautiful, in color, simplicity, and
design.
Would it be possible to put forth such beauty
and resent the lady bug invading their space.
We need to express beauty in thought and
action, in God’s design.
Thanks Evan for each SpiritView.
And the pictures are always perfect. A+
Hate hurts the hater more than the hated.
Thank you Evan.
I can attest to the fact that resentment is a waste of time. I felt so justified in my resentment. But what I did not realize was that it was hurting me and not helping what I perceived to be a situation that needed to be set on a straighter path. If only I would have allowed Love to occupy my thought at that time.
I live and learn.
The message is so clear to lift ourselves up and spread joy everywhere. Thank you Evan with this uplifting thought along with the fantastic photo!
“I bless this day in the infinite opportunities it gives me to love: to love and bless every human I meet, every beast or bird I pass by, every plant I behold, for all are but the manifold expressions of the infinite Life that undergirds all.
Truly, I bless this day for the wonderful adventure it can become as I walk through it with the eyes of wonder rather than boredom, use every opportunity to express peace rather than irritation, and chose love over fear. Thank you, Life, for this day.” Pierre Pradervand, from 365 Blessings to heal myself and the world.
Thank you Manuela. From what I understand, Pierre Pradervand was a Christian Scientist for many years. He wrote for the CS publications and for the CS Monitor newspaper. His most famous book, The Gentle Art of Blessing, has been recommended many times here on SV. Here’s an article from the CS Sentinel 1999 which is an excerpt from the first chapter of that book (published in the US in 2009). It lays out his wonderful, central teaching on blessing. Enjoy.
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/shared/view/hfeyg774ns
Thank you Manuela, and thank you Rose for the info on Pierre Pradervand and the wonderful article. Filling thought with blessing(s) keeps consciousness filled up with love.
Thank you Evan and all. If we live according to God’s laws we can always see a reason to love rather than resent.
There is a question I always ask myself when placed in a situation where resentment is about to set it.
This is the question , who sinned, he abuser or the abused? In this way I always forgive very fast and with a kind of sympathy, l always wish if the person could know the truth he will never repeat the act or say any hurtful thing. He needs to know that he is the image and likeness of God, No need for resentment.
True. Yet easier said than done.
Some spout off their superiority in supposedly achieving this in platitudes.
What’s needed is compassion and support for the struggler. Betrayal by loved ones is not easily let go. it is a deep wound.
But that does not make the fact of letting go of resentment any less true , needed , even required for healing.
Never beat yourself up for finding the release of resentment a very difficult assignment. But keep to the fact that there is a prize for completing this run. Keep going. Whatever the pace- slow or fast.
So true Casey. Betrayal by loved ones especially hurts. When I finally prayed about it to see them as God sees them, then sweet release came from all the hurt feelings–and a physical healing came too. I have to keep at it though whenever the memory of it comes to thought and tries to sneak in again and send me down that path of resentment. I think of Jesus example of how he had to most likely overcome resentment when he was rejected by his home town–how that must have stung, and how he overcame resentment during the cruxifixction–our most powerful example of the healing that comes from forgiving, seeing the man of God’s creating.
Linda I like what you said in the last line of your comment. The very definition of forgiving is – seeing the man/woman of God’s (not mortal mind’s) creating. Sound simple, but can be very challenging. But having a good working definition like this helps keep our thought focused in the right, divine direction.
Evan thanks for, “Resenting is hard work.” It surely is. It uses up our precious time and energy as we nurse, rehearse and rehash the perceived wrong in order to keep it alive. This is exhausting, it conflicts with our natural state of joy.
Wonderfully stated the world needs more love always
The article, Overcoming Hurt Feelings by Paul Stark Seeley, has helped me numerous times with our subject today! Christian Science Journal April 1961. If someone knows how to send the link, it would be appreciated!
https://journal.christianscience.com/issues/1961/4/79-4/overcoming-hurt-feelings
Thank you Desert Girl. Here’s a link for those that don’t have a subscription to JSHOnline:
https://journal.christianscience.com/shared/view/41c4ghpoz2?s=e
The sweet photo gives me the thought that the lady bug can either be
a “bug”, or someone who “bugs” us, as a negative, or it can be seen as it
is, in Truth, a beneficial blessing that helps heal our universe and makes
it better.
Years ago, after a very troubling and challenging part of my life, I reached
a turning point where I could hold a deep resentment or let things be
amicable. I am so grateful I chose the latter, because it would have only
hurt even more.
Love heals and becomes more special and meaningful as time progresses
and we realize more and more that Divine Love is really all there is.
Each day gives us a new opportunity to demonstrate this everpresence
of God’s care for all of us.
“No resentment” by Barbara M. Vining:
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/shared/view/1l4n85b5dpe?s=e
Quotes by others:
– “We can love others not in a personal sense, but as God sees them. We show our love for God – by loving His spiritual reflection. It means that we love large enough to see through the mortal picture and recognize the real identity for everyone.”
– “Forgivingly love and embrace all because God know no conflict: He sees His children dwelling in brotherly love. As we trust in God’s loving, wise government of all, human will yields to “Thy will be done,” and the spirit of goodwill prevails over any ill will. There is only one side to be on: God’s. God knows no opposition.”
Another one…
“Healing of a grudge—possible through prayer” by Karyn Mandan:
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/shared/view/oxyal2jj1m?s=t
Thank you RH for the link. I tried three times! And thank you, everyone else, for the links to other inspiring articles to help us along our way. And thank you Evan, for sending us such great topics to think about and help us to refine our understanding about them.
I really loved “Reflecting the Mind of Love, rather than dropping into an abyss of negativity, ” I also had an epiphany after reading this (and the great comments, thanks everyone). I realised when I have been feeling resentful it is when I haven’t been loving myself enough. It is when I have been doing things I didn’t want to do, instead of listening to how best resolve a situation so that it blesses all.
It reminded me that Jesus said to love our neighbour as ourself not more than our self.
Thank you Evan and All. xx
I gain so much from the wonderful articles and thoughts shared throughout
the day that compliment Evan’s initial theme. From J’s inspiring article on “No
resentment”,
” God Himself directly fortifies pure motives and efforts with
the boundless divine energy that brings us into newness of being”.
God/Love Is our Comforter always with us, watching over us and
with Prayer, with it’s blessings, with joyful praise of Love’s grace
where God is guiding us through the love of Christ/Truth. We,
like plants reaching for the sun, express and reflect this love in
so many wonderful and unique ways. Our states
of Mind heal any resentment we may be tempted to feel and Do
bring us into “newness of being”.
Thank you Evan for the reminder to love and love more instead of reacting. Oh I had to work out this several times, and I was and still am very grateful, when divine Love took over and does it always. Very helpful always for me is that LOVE is the liberator, the redeemer, which has always the final say, is in control through divine law, Love is answered prayer, the allmighty everpresence! Am very grateful for that!