Ecclesiastes 7 –
Ecclesiastes 7 is where I am today … tough one since there are so many good ones. This is similar to Proverbs, the book of fortune cookie sayings, which is verse after verse of wise saying. Verse 9 caught my eye:
Control your temper, for anger labels you a fool.
This I can relate to all too well. Having been known as a hothead from time to time, I have seen that my outbursts solve nothing and cause more damage. This relates to one of my favorite books James, verse 1:19 says “You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.”
Hmmm … there seems to be a theme here in the last few “Thoughts” about listening … maybe I need some work there;-)
Anyway an angry mind is clouded and lacks good judgment. You start acting off raw emotions and not reason. Unfortunately, we stop listening and start letting the mouth flow … that’s where James is protecting us. It all relates to each other … as we know “the pen is mightier than the sword” and word are the same. Found in the book of Mormon DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS Section 12:2 (quick internet search, have not read it) “my word, which is quick and powerful, sharper than a two-edged sword” …
Stop, take a deep breath, look at your WWJD band … and think before one responds.
Some other Ecclesiastes 7 nuggets:
<5> Better to be criticized by a wise person than to be praised by a fool.
IE accept criticism from wise guys;-)
<13> Accept the way God does things, for who can straighten what he has made crooked?
As we see with Bryce ** … you cannot control what happens each second, we must know God is in control through the good times and bad.
** Bryce is a friend of ours who was paralyzed in a skiing accident. Amazing kid whose life was tuned upside down in a split second.