Resentment

Resentment is indignation or ill will and smoldering anger generated by a sense of a grievance, real or imagined; to feel indignantly aggrieved at; resentment’s synonym is anger. Indignation is righteous anger at something regarded as wrongful, unjust, or evil.

Resentment is a soul taint that can easily become a sin. If you do not pull the weeds of resentment, you will grow a hedge of hatred. Anger is the word used for resentment in the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament.

The workaholic elder son in the Parable of the Prodigal Son is a perfect illustration of resentment. When his spendthrift younger brother returned, and their father held a feast with music and dancing, the older son was outraged: He was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him. And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.—Luke 15:28-30.

Edna Lister on Resentment

Some people are spendthrifts, others are so addicted to saving that they give resentfully, grudgingly. They want to hold onto what they have so much so that they can let nothing go. Grasping the past, they have no room for the future.—Edna Lister, November 30, 1931.

As a creator, you are always creating something. However, your resistance, resentment, opinions, and prejudices generally bar you from making perfect creations.—Edna Lister, January 16, 1933.

As creators, you are always creating something. Your resistance, resentment, opinions, and prejudices generally bar you from making perfect creations.—Edna Lister, Beatitudes, January 29, 1933.

An enemy is anything you do not like, approve of, or want. You believe the enemy approaches to change you, to make you do something you do not want to do, to force you. This breeds rebellion and resentment, and blaming them becomes easy. Ask yourself, What about me? Am I an enemy to life’s limitations, darkness, or its unwanted hurts? If so, then you are an enemy of God’s life, by refusing to obey law. If you are not for it, you are against it, which is lukewarm and indifferent.

In truth, you can have no enemy, on earth or in heaven. You are your own enemy, always. You become your own enemy when you want to hold anything against anyone, to grasp anything, to be swayed by things or people. You can do better than to cry, Lord, save me from myself, my resentment, my creations!—Edna Lister, December 15, 1935.

Keep your mind and heart clear of all doubt and resentment.—Edna Lister, August 17, 1937.

Every cook knows that if you improperly seal a canning jar, the contents will ferment and blow up when they spoil. When you allow others to dictate to you, to label you and put stickers on you, your resentment ferments toward an inevitable explosion.

Only you can choose what tree you will be, a Christmas tree or peach tree. Will you allow folks to hang their ideas on you from the outside, or grow your peaches from within?—Edna Lister, October 31, 1937.

Remain impersonal when you discuss things with another, either soul things or world things; do not grow indignant, impatient or take remarks personally.—Edna Lister, February 13, 1941.

The more you give right where you are, without grudging the service, the greater will be your reward.—Edna Lister, Life in a Nutshell, "Your Five-Year Plan," 1942.

So much delay comes in payment of hasty temper and judgments on and resentment of others.—Edna Lister, December 1, 1942.

We all must dig out the last tiny root of old hurts and resentments.—Edna Lister, September 19, 1944.

Just stand firm in love and praise in which is no resentment or complaint.—Edna Lister, November 30, 1944.

When you fall into self-pity, intolerance or resentment, or backward looking you send everyone you’ve ever contacted, personally or casually, downward.—Edna Lister, December 8, 1944.

You can’t be hurt or offended without resenting and blaming, which is judging another.—Edna Lister, December 15, 1944.

Resentment cuts your lines of Light to success.—Edna Lister, December 15, 1944.

An unwilling sacrifice, or one made grudgingly (a must sacrifice of obligation), causes many delays and postponements, and brings no returns at all on the inner.—Edna Lister, Five Important Steps in Ascension, 1945.

Your responsibility for lifting does not mean assuming dozens of obligations you are unable to handle on the outer. It does not mean you must take another into your home to live, or to permit others to encroach to breed resentment.—Edna Lister, Five Keys of the Kingdom, 1945.

In the Great Abyss, which includes all abysses between earth and the Source, countless thousands of descended creator gods lose their places and start to regress through self-pity, self-blame or resentment caused by trials by fire.—Edna Lister, January 31, 1945.

Deep-seated resentment upsets glands, causes heart trouble and difficulty with breath.—Edna Lister, June 30, 1945.

You are of little use to the Master until you completely lift all pride, resentment, rebellion, etc.—Edna Lister, July 16, 1945.

Scrape, dig and lift until you can tear out the roots of resentment, which are pride and self-pity.—Edna Lister, July 23, 1945.

If you resent and hate what you think the world or another person is forcing you to do, your own resentment and hatred move in to bind you. When you say, "I love you," love moves in from every direction to fill your creative molds.—Edna Lister, September 1, 1945.

The slightest bit of resentment shows that the self is in control.—Edna Lister, October 14, 1945.

Only love can melt ideas of resentment, revenge, or blame for another.—Edna Lister, October 14, 1945.

An open mind always stands ready to receive a gift from every adversary. To agree means to be agreeable right now, not tomorrow. All barriers of resentment melt away when you call on God first, and you find a way in which to apply law.—Edna Lister, December 14, 1945.

Three quarters of the average person’s life is a mess because they argue with self. Some people collect hurts and offenses. As collectors of darkness, they take offense, even when the other fellow doesn’t mean any. Do not to take into your heart what you do not wish to have there. Do not repress fear, worry, and resentments, but call them up from the basement to agree with you, if even for only one moment a day, over one infinitesimal point. Self is an unruly child, always ready to throw a tantrum. No good place exists where you can stop disciplining an unruly child, so you must keep lifting self into the Light.—Edna Lister, May 4, 1947.

Ninety-nine percent of your grief and resentment come from your demands on and expectations of other people.—Edna Lister, May 16, 1947.

Unconscious blame carries resentment with it.—Edna Lister, June 3, 1947.

You think you are grateful but you neutralize it with rebellion and resentment.—Edna Lister, August 17, 1947.

Lift up thy face unto God. Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows. Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.—Job 22:26-28. You may ask what you will, and when you declare a thing, it will be established for you. You can ask for thousands of good things for all those on your lines of Light and responsibility, or take deductions such as fear, worry, doubt, rebellion, and resentment.—Edna Lister, March 14, 1948.

You are always expressing through the trinity of activity—explosion, expansion and expression—whether you use it as a creature or a creator. You can either explode with hate, resentment and anger because you did not get what you want, or use the keynote "Let," and explode into creativity.—Edna Lister, June 27, 1948.

Dig up all old hates and resentments to cleanse your soul completely, for you can conceal nothing. Light will unveil all hidden thoughts, words, and deeds. Only what you have cleansed in your record can remain hidden from prying eyes.—Edna Lister, January 10, 1949.

Emotional love expresses as love of the self, or as devotional love for God. Selfish emotional love reaches, snatches, and reaps without sowing. It will wait for what it wants, but never serenely, only resentfully. Aggressive, pervasive mother love fulfills the law, and works miracles.—Edna Lister, May 8, 1949.

Resentment reveals itself in the tones of voice even if not in the words spoken.—Edna Lister, April 15, 1950.

All too often people say, I accept, when they really want to think about it and still not accept it. While acceptance is crucial to ascension, it is important to not accept resentment, blame, or criticism as yours before you lift it.—Edna Lister, April 16, 1950.

The dweller on the threshold of consciousness is the collective total of a person’s past creations, along whatever line he has given it life. Such a dweller-entity may be and is usually all one type of debt, such as resentment, hate, self-pity, or misuse of the lower creative center, causing the person to lose balance completely, or to obsess on just one idea. He may seem completely normal in every other way.—Edna Lister, October 11, 1950.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?—Romans 8:35. Who can separate you from God? In resenting the one who criticizes and condemns, you push him from your nest. He rebels at being pushed and his only method of retaliation is to climb back in the nest. The worst temper or criticism is always seeking the nest. So don’t be surprised to find a foot in your face if you try to push it out. You draw all this to yourself from others when you fear it.—Edna Lister, June 10, 1951.

In judgment, or what we call righteous indignation, you put on the black cloak of death (killing a vibration forcefully) and lose credits.—Edna Lister, June 21, 1951.

Frustration creates resentment.—Edna Lister, June 25, 1951.

Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, I repent, you shall forgive him.—Luke 17:3. If you rebuke your brother, do so with Light, not blame. You have no excuse for using anything but Light, so let the Light do the rebuking. To inform another of his offense teaches law, but you must assume all responsibility if you offend him.

Most important, you must forgive the offender and yourself. Forgive yourself for the resentment, anger or hatred you may feel and for any element of self in your tone of voice as you rebuke. God always forgives you, so who are you to withhold forgiveness from others? You must forgive seven times in a day or for as long as it takes for both you and the adversary to be healed. You are healed when you have no more enemies, no more debts, and no more darkness.—Edna Lister, October 21, 1951.

Self love thinks only of self and its relationships. It grows a garden of opinions and prejudices, little bloomers of self-pity, and weeds of envy, resentment, jealousy, hatred and anger. Like nettles, they sting and will take over a healthy garden. You must surrender the dross of self, criticism, resentment, opinions, and prejudices.—Edna Lister, December 7, 1952.

Unless you cover another’s transgressions, you uncover your own for lifting. For instance, if you resent lifting another, your memory cells become congested. Your half-hearted begrudging praise reveals your covetousness, jealousy, envy, hard-heartedness and stinginess of soul.—Edna Lister, Now Is the High Time, December 6, 1953.

Resentment, envy, jealousy and covetousness all carry grudges. Beware.—Edna Lister, Now Is the High Time, December 6, 1953.

Grief breeds resentment.—Edna Lister, December 9, 1953.

Every time you give up fears, resentments, or negative emotions, it transforms you.—Edna Lister, January 15, 1954.

Only under anger and resentment do you fall to the chamber of chaos, the bottomless pit.—Edna Lister, Seven Degrees in the Great Pyramid, November 30, 1954.

You face tests and trials by fire to purge you of rebellion and resentment of how others treat you. Finally you recognize and acknowledge your debts, and that law has the right to present you with a bill for payment. You will know that you have paid when you no longer resent this, but look joyously to God’s Light.—Edna Lister, December 5, 1954.

People refer to Jesus whipping the money changers from the Temple in Jerusalem to justify their behavior, saying, He was righteously indignant. Why can’t I be? Thus, they charge a debt of blame that the Elect must lift. And remember, Jesus took back the force of his actions and words with the Crucifixion.—Edna Lister, December 20, 1954.

Humility is the hall mark of the Master’s compassion, the badge of royal family membership in the Elect on earth. Would you have time to descend and cater to hurts and resentments if you lived life his way?—Edna Lister, August 14, 1955.

Slavery comes in many forms. You can be a slave to appetites, to a creed or to another’s idea of religion, to a family member or to resentment in your own heart. You have no freedom if you are enslaved to your emotional life.—Edna Lister, October 9, 1955.

What is that to thee? Follow thou me.—John 21:22. So much of the trouble, difficulty, resentment, blame and hurt feelings in the world rise from making unwarranted comparisons.—Edna Lister, October 21, 1955.

Open a new account in God’s Bank. You can draw on all you deposit, minus your deductions and the service charges for fear, doubt, blame, self-pity, rebellion, resentment, and emotional hurts.—Edna Lister, October 30, 1955.

For one week, stand aside from your self, follow your self around and notice the impression you make. When you watch the other fellow’s eyes every minute, every time you speak, you might discover a few things. That first swift glance from his eyes tells the whole story of the pattern of your kingdom. It will tell all about marriages, and parent-child relationships, for example.

Sometimes just changing your tone of voice will make your kingdom more beautiful. A grunt, a lift of an eyebrow, a cynical mouth twist or a shrug of the shoulders shows contempt for the other fellow, and endears you to no one.When you offend with a mannerism or idle words, you insult the other fellow’s intelligence and invade his kingdom. This is how you breed resentment, rebellion and downright hatred, and they will fester.—Edna Lister, February 12, 1956.

With every incident of anger, resentment and irritation you use more of your own precious soul substance.—Edna Lister, April 14, 1956.

Anger and resentment fuel boredom.—Edna Lister, December 15, 1956.

It requires great caution to avoid unwise speech or self entering when righting wrongs leads to self-righteous indignation.—Edna Lister, December 20, 1956.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.—Psalm 23:5. Your enemies include doubts, fears, opinions, prejudices, resentments, and idle words. You no longer sit with your enemies when you conquer self, but in the presence of your loved ones.—Edna Lister, November 24, 1957.

Never criticize a person or situation to justify some resentment you hold dear.—Edna Lister, February 6, 1958.

When you are criticized, lift it; go deeper within yourself to see if you have criticized to justify some resentment you hold.—Edna Lister, February 6, 1958.

From age twenty-eight to thirty-five, memories of hate and resentment from other incarnations begin to rise to the surface of your mind. Remember to lift them.—Edna Lister, April 10, 1958.

You cannot enter the golden silence while you are filled with resentments and irritations. Yet the average person just suppresses subconscious distractions, pushing them back to the boiler room of self where they continue to howl and clank. Remember, your prayers can ascend only as high as your consciousness in the moment.—Edna Lister, April 20, 1958.

Pride will not forget, but holds onto self’s resentments.—Edna Lister, June 8, 1958.

When you walk the Path of Perfection, you may not entertain emotional hurt, anger or resentment, but see negative words and acts only as darkness to lift, taking nothing as a personal affront to the little-self. Yet, you must still teach the turn the other cheek method in training and lifting self to those not walking this perfect path.—Edna Lister, June 28, 1958.

When you are not joyous, you are nurturing a taint of resentment or grief.—Edna Lister, September 17, 1958.

What the other person expresses reflects their reaction to your love, every remaining selfishness, resentment, irritation, self-pity or pride in your subconscious. The reaction you receive depends on the degree of your love.—Edna Lister, October 13, 1958.

God credits you according to your words, not the words others speak about you. He takes a chunk of your credit and gives it to those you resent and criticize, as compensation. If you have ever complained, I prayed so long, but God never answered me, your soul substance went to those you criticized and blamed between your saintly prayers.—Edna Lister, October 13, 1958.

What is that to thee? Follow thou me.—John 21:22. People are so interested in what others do. Human nature is too critical, bossy and inquisitive, and would rather die of indignation than give up its opinions and resentments.—Edna Lister, Constancy in Obedience, October 26, 1958.

Rebellion results when you do not sacrifice your resentment.—Edna Lister, November 24, 1958.

Two seeds of life form and ripen in the desire body solar plexus once a lunar month. Under ascension and soul conquering, the meeting and mingling of etheric and magnetic currents cause an explosion of Light that stimulates the seeds to growth. One seed ascends to the higher creative center [the brain], to water the Garden of Eden through the nerves of the head. The other seed descends to the lower creative center at the sacrum plexus [reproductive organs] to gestate and create form. If you are resentful, you spend that seed of life as force on negative things and cannot water your Garden of Eden. Only surrender of self and love cause these seeds to grow.—Edna Lister, June 9, 1959.

The instant self enters, you may easily detect it as blame, someone is doing something to me, a complaint against another for not living up, or resentment and the thousandfold ugliness that arise.—Edna Lister, October 8, 1959.

Forgiveness is to give up resentment against.—Edna Lister, January 28, 1960.

Resentment separates Mind and Substance, and Power becomes force.—Edna Lister, Make Earth Your Heaven Now, December 13, 1960.

If you can resent criticism, you have not become law.—Edna Lister, December 19, 1960.

The laws of the Great Abyss, which includes all abysses between earth and the Source, are the hardest to learn. Countless thousands of souls regress and lose their places through self-pity or resentment for such trials by fire to clean up all taints. Conquering the Great Abyss is hard; you accomplish the great crossing only through rigid soul disciplining.—Edna Lister, January 3, 1961.

You must have room to expand on your freedom to choose, so you must create an area of choice around yourself the size of your giving in prayer. This creates a protective wall that no outer vibration or interference can penetrate, unless you open a resentment valve.—Edna Lister, September 7, 1961.

Righteous indignation is good, if you are righteous and cut off the indignation.—Edna Lister, November 27, 1961.

To accept lovingly, without rancor, resentment or hurt, is the true attitude of the ascending soul.—Edna Lister, April 27, 1962.

The world does not want to accept responsibility, which results in stubbornness, resistance to hearing a new law, and rebellion. No matter how far you have climbed, if you delay in accepting the law, you use the magnetic currents of earth, which strengthen the will. Even mild resentment or rebellion pulls the magnetic currents coming through family, friends, coworkers, adding their force as momentum to reinforce the self-will. Your reaction will draw the magnetic currents coming through those with you—family, friends, coworkers—and add their force as momentum.—Edna Lister, June 7, 1962.

You get everything from life that you give to God, minus your deductions, which include idle words, resentments, criticism, and gossip.—Edna Lister, June 16, 1963.

Past resentment, rebellion, repudiation and self-pity generate blame.—Edna Lister, September 5, 1963.

Self-excuses go hand in hand with resentment, blame and repudiation.—Edna Lister, September 16, 1963.

Interference with another’s choices evokes waves of resentment, present and past, and displays only your self-aggrandizement and self-righteousness.—Edna Lister, September 16, 1963.

You can’t resent or take up any such challenge from the outside without lowering your own vibration.—Edna Lister, May 21, 1968.

In personal relationships, do not to allow another to encroach to the point where you become soft. Your subconscious renews the spot of the old resentment and recreates a nice resentment boil until pretty soon you are repudiating and resenting everything that comes along.—Edna Lister, August 7, 1969.

Treatments for Resentment

Father, I now reach out with arms of Light and gather up all the scattered soul substance of thoughts, words, deeds and actions, resentments and criticisms. I put them all up on a cloud altar; let them be covered with a pillar of fire. Let the darkness all be consumed, and as it is consumed, let it draw all the taints in to be purified, refashioned made into Light and new creative soul substance for Thy son/daughter.—Edna Lister, July 1949.

Face every episode, condition and past situation in family, social and business life, no matter what. Lift it, loose it and let it go to see it filled with Light. Especially include all who have blamed you as the cause of their grief, resentment, intolerance and criticism.—Edna Lister, June 30, 1944.