Actress Isabel Oli came to reflect on her past hatred for persons who painted a negative picture of her, as she was doing exercises. She recalled the day she was angered by some of these people, as per her Instagram post today, April 25.
“So this is me doing some core workout. Usually my gym time is my me-time. I often reflect or dream or think of ways to improve myself physically, mentally and sometimes, spiritually,” she stated.
As she was about to finish her workout, Oli “felt the Lord” telling her that she “should be healthy inside and out.” She then recalled the day she was angered after she was accused by some people of doing something which she did not do.
“That really bothered and troubled my heart. I was filled with bitterness and anger. Days went by, and I thought I was ok. But every time I remember what happened, a surge of ill-feelings would surface,” she said.
Oli felt she was in a “hate-trap.” She realized next that the only way to go about it is to “turn to God’s word.” she said. She then cited three verses which spoke about hate:
“1 John 4:20: ‘Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.’;
“1 Peter 4:8: ‘Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.’; and —
“John 15:12: “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”
Oli knew she needed God to remind her to follow His words.
“If not, I would lose sight of His ways, and give in to my flesh. We forget that it is He who gives us the will and the power to act according to His good purpose. You can find this verse in Philippians 2:13,” she explained.
“I can choose to disregard the hurt because God has given me the grace to do so. Without Him, forgiving and letting go of the hurt is hard. So I rely on God’s power to help me do the things that He wants me to do,” she said. “So now, by God’s power at work through me, I have to forgive regardless if there is an apology or none.”
Oli then shared to her fans that it is more important to “focus on what is good and true and prioritize to save the relationship” because “FORGIVENESS is one way to experience true peace.” JB
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