Youth Leadership Lessons: Pearls

"Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:18, niv).

Into the shell of an oyster a tiny grain of sand finds its way. The intruder, though small, is a source of irritation and pain to the soft body of the oyster. Unable to rid itself of the unwelcome pebble, the oyster seeks to reduce the irritation by coating it with layers of soft, iridescent mother-of-pearl material from its own shell. Over time, the oyster transforms a painful irritation into a beautiful pearl of great value.

Most of us have irritations, "grains of sand", or annoying "pebbles" that come into our life on a regular basis … many of which can be very frustrating and even painful.

But every one of these annoyances gives us a chance to grow. Some will require great patience, others tough love. Some will require our turning the other cheek, some confrontation, and some kindness and understanding. For example, addicts need to be treated with tough love. Bullies require us to maintain healthy boundaries. Cheaters need to be confronted. Manipulators need to be managed. Control freaks need to be resisted, guilt throwers need to be challenged, and toxic people may need to be avoided, and so on.

With God's help, if we so choose, we can turn every one of these annoying pebbles into pearls or we can allow them to make us bitter. For it's not what happens to us that matters, but how we react to what happens. What we do about it is what matters—and that's a choice we make either consciously or unconsciously.

A pearl is a victory over a problem. Problems have value. We grow and mature in the midst of difficulties. We learn skills for life. Every irritation that comes into our lives is an opportunity for a pearl culture. The more
irritations, the greater the number of pearls we may possess. All one has to do is welcome the problem, perceive it as an educational experience, and cover it with love, the most precious part of us. Irritations will be smoothed out.
You'll be richer for peacefully handling your problems.

Ask God, to help you see an opportunity for growth in every annoying situation.

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