Resentment Is Exhausting

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Symbol: Holding rock at arm’s length

Lesson: Holding onto resentment becomes exhausting

Illustration: “Pick up a rock, perhaps one that weighs just a few pounds, and hold it at arm’s length. You would probably have little trouble holding the rick for a short time. But what if you tried to do so for an extended period of time? How long would you be able to hold it—some minutes? An hour? Or longer? No doubt, your arm would become very tired! The actual weight of the rock would not change. But the longer you held it, the heavier it would feel. The same is true of resentment. The longer we hold a grudge—even a rather small one—the more we hurt ourselves.

Notes: For our good, the scriptures rightly exhort us to be forgiving.

This illustration appeared in a "Return to Jehovah," a magazine released at the 2015 District Convention. (page 8)

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Rock or Sponge

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Are we a rock or a sponge? If you were to put both into a large bowl of water, it would be true that they are both “in” the water. But if you take the rock out, how much water does it hold? A couple drops at best, and nothing that was actually inside the rock. On the other hand, the sponge is not only “in” the water, but the water is “in” the sponge.

Similarly, we often speak of being “in” the truth. However, for some this merely means that they are part of the congregation. When these are tested by trials, they demonstrate that the truth really was not “in” them. However, those that absorb the truth and make it a living part of their lives can truly say not only that they are “in” the truth, but that the truth is “in” them.

(Originally, this was a object lesson performed from the podium in front of a congregation meeting. Besides the bowl of water, rock and sponge, I had a small cup and held it under the rock and then the sponge. I indicated that the cup represented what God asked from us—not overwhelmingly a lot, just that we love him with every fiber of our being and that we have compassionate love for our fellow man. The rock indicates the hardened disposition of those that refuse to be molded by godly principles. The sponge indicates those who truly apply what they learn. Finally, the water in bowl represents all the counsel of God through the Bible.)

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