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You've heard the saying of Jesus, “Do not cast your pearls before swine.”
The basic meaning of that is don't share yourself‚ your truth‚ your life‚ anything of yourself that is of value to you, important to you‚ with those who won't appreciate it.
They'll trample it underfoot. Not necessarily out of anger. Pigs just trample pearls underfoot because pearls mean nothing to them. They're worthless to them. They just don't care.
You have the right to not share what is valuable about yourself with others who won't get it, won't understand it, won't appreciate it, and won't value it. You do not need to give yourself away to those for whom it means nothing. You don't have to reveal all of the real you, the true you, to people who won't care, or will care but in the wrong way, or who will hurt you for it. Not even superheroes do that!
Jesus was an expert at this. It infuriated the religious leaders because they always wanted to trap him. That was the main motivation of their questions. Not curiosity or a desire to know.
Now, I cast my pearls out into the world every day. Some people are sweet and some are swine. But that's how I roll. However, when it comes to more immediate relationships, I apply this principle:
When you train your mind, heart and ear to discern, you can tell when someone's asking you out of a malicious desire to catch you OR out of a sincere desire to know.
1. Withhold your pearls from the first. No explanation needed. That's just another pearl that means nothing to them.
2. Give your pearls to the second. They will appreciate their value and treasure them as gifts.
How can we tell the difference between a swine and a sweetie? Good question! Sometimes we don't know until it's too late. So I have no test-proven method of telling the difference. In fact, sometimes people can be both and switch from sweetie to swine in a second! But, when it comes to sharing yourself with others, here are a few pointers to apply to keep yourself from being trodden underfoot.
I hope this helps. It can be lonely out there. We all have pearls and it's nice to find someone to share them with. I hope you find someone to share them with!
(If you're looking for a safe place to share your pearls... in a group or with me, check this out!)
2 comments
No julie , you haven’t run out of pearls and i don’t believe you can run out of pearls ESPECIALLY if Jesus has claimed you to be his . If your his your his for ever and what comes with being his is that we receive an abundance of Gods gifts promised to us .
Your life experiences are a gift them selves , whether those were good or bad experiences .
Good experiences may bring good times and even good lessons , bad experiences may bring bad times and maybe even harsh lessons
But dont let it keep you down
Call on the Lord and seek him for wisdom
“Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God — who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly — and it will be given to him.”
James 1:5 CSB
Learn . Love . And try again
Dont be selfish , those harsh lessons you learned can be a teacher for someone else you love (or anyone) before they make the same mistake you made 🌱
You can learn from your lessons
And from both good and bad experiences
If she doesnt see this i hope some one will see this and it encourages them to never doubt that God that in their life , seek him and trust him
“give him and inch and he give you more than what you even expected🙏🏾”
Is it possible to run out of pearls? I feel as though I have. Failed marriages, questionable friendships. Just curious