Strong Girls are Happy Girls

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Do you know what kind of girl is a pretty girl?

A happy girl.

Are scowly, bitter girls happy or pretty?

I don’t think so.

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Strong girls are happy girls. And one sure way to keep from being happy is to be unforgiving and spiteful.

I know it isn’t easy. Our nature without Jesus is to take revenge. To give back whatever hurt us is our first reaction.

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But a Strong Girl stops before she reacts. She counts to ten. Or she takes a few days to calm down before reacting. And then, maybe she doesn’t react at all.

It’s good to remember this: you can’t reason with unreasonable people.

If a person has a point of view that isn’t yours, and they aren’t willing to listen because they are angry, hurt or just plain stubborn, then your efforts to change their mind are a waste of time.

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God knows all about human nature, and He’s given us some very good advice on how to treat people who hurt us:

“A soft answer turns away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger.The tongue of the wise utters knowledge rightly, but the mouth of the [self-confident] fool pours out folly” (Proverbs 15:1 & 2, AMP).

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Being spiteful just continues the cycle of hatefulness. As Strong Girls, we’re called to love and grace, not hate and revenge. And that means laying down our own feelings and obeying God. It’s hard at first, but once you do it, you’ll feel more freedom than you can imagine.

When you continue to hate and feel bitterness and resentment toward the person who has done you wrong, you give them power to make your life miserable. Why let them have the power to keep you bitter? Bitterness just leads to ugliness. Strong Girls are beautiful.

forgivenssCheck out what God has to say here:

Be gentle and forbearing with one another and, if one has a difference (a grievance or complaint) against another, readily pardoning each other; even as the Lord has [freely] forgiven you, so must you also [forgive] (Colossians 3:13, AMP).

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you (Ephesians 4:32, KJV).

Do you know what helps me forgive someone when they’ve been mean to me? I remember the words of Jesus as He hung on the cross: “Father forgive them for they know not what they do (Luke 23:24).”

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If Jesus can forgive those who crucified Christ in the midst of the excruciating pain on the cross, and have compassion for those who hurt Him, the least I can do for His sacrifice for me, is to imitate Him by being a forgiving girl.

why-its-important-to-forgive-and-forget-L-gwe619A forgiving, gracious girl will never be a hard, bitter girl. She will remain sensitive to the Holy Spirit. She will remain tenderhearted and compassionate. This may also mean she will be hurt easier than others, but that doesn’t mean she’s isn’t strong. On the contrary, it takes a lot of strength to live this way.

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But you can do it, Strong Girl. Because it’s not by YOUR might or power, but by the strength that God gives you by His Holy Spirit (Zechariah 4:6).  Ask Him for the strength.

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There have been times when I have been so hurt and it’s been so difficult to forgive someone that I’ve literally had to get down on my hands and knees and cry out to the Lord, “Father, I don’t want to forgive them because it hurts so much and what they did to me makes me want to scratch their eyes out. But Lord, out of obedience to You, I forgive them.”

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Do you think God is surprised by how you feel? No way! He made you. He already knows how you feel, but telling Him about it is very freeing! I know from experience! Nothing I say to Him can shock Him because before a word is on my tongue He knows what I’m going to say. So talk to Him. He can handle it (Psalm 139).

Remember, forgiveness isn’t a feeling. It’s a decision. But there is a huge blessing in it for you!

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When Job forgave those who criticized him and he prayed for them, God gave Job twice as much as he had before! Job was one strong dude because of His close walk with God. But it wasn’t until he prayed for his friends that God began to bless him are restore all he’d lost and much more (Job 42:10).

Jesus said:

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you (Matthew 5:44, KJV).

Forgive to forget.

Do you have any questions about forgiveness? About being a Strong Girl? About God and the Bible? Please feel free to ask them below and I will answer them.

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