All you need to know about the ebb and flow of life, your life; can be summed up in a specific Biblical scripture that I am going to share.
Eight versus about the appointed time of when the circumstances of life happen. And, it happens to all of us. In fact, it will or might even have happened to you already. The bottom line, thereof, is how you deal with these points/verses/life hacks, however you call them.
Are you ready? Oh, but wait. First, let me give you the source of these verses. It helps to know who wrote them. There is a saying out there, that says something like this… consider the source when taking criticism or feedback from someone. I believe that statement has value. Not all feedback, not all criticism (constructive or not) should devalue your worthiness in any way. You alone can decide if that individual has authority over you to say those things. Got it?
Now, I digressed. Let’s get back to the source.
In the Bible, there was a king and his name was Solomon. He was the son of David. David, who was the son of Jesse, the shepherd who became king after King Saul. This is the same man who killed Goliath with a slingshot and three stones.
King David was a warrior of a king. He did good in the eyes of the Lord God. He had a blip, though. We all do, he had an adulterous affair with a married woman, got her pregnant, had her husband killed, and then lost the first child. He ended up marrying her. He had eight wives in total. David repented of his wrong-doing to God and was forgiven. Nonetheless, he begot another child and God told David to call him Solomon.
Before David passed, God informed him that no other of his sons but Solomon would become king in his place. And so, Solomon became King. And God loved Solomon. In fact, Solomon was good. He was attractive too, rich, and got whatever he wanted. But one thing, Solomon desired above all was wisdom. And God, pleased with this request, gave it to King Solomon. He became a very wise man. Solomon wrote several books of the Bible called the “wisdom books”. There was Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon (which is a bit of a racy book), and a couple of Psalms. He had 700 wives and 300 concubines. Yes, that’s a lot of women.
And he even built the first Jewish temple (house of the Lord) which held The Ark of the Covenant. It was a seven-year building project. He did fall away from God, no surprise there. He became worldly with all his riches and worshipped other gods. I guess, we are human and do err. It’s not right, but it does happen.
We’re going to look at Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. Here are some wise points. I’ve added commentary as to how I understood the verses because this is how they have spoken to me. I’m not a theologian or a Bible scholar, but I believe I have to obey the Holy Spirit to put down these thoughts. It’s helped me. I pray it helps you too. Of course, I HIGHLY INVITE YOU TO DO FURTHER RESEARCH ON YOUR OWN.
Here we go: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
There has been so much written on season and reason for people, events, and how circumstances have come into your lives. People often ask, how come certain friends stay all your life, and others leave? Well, just like the seasons, which change in their due time, people and situations do as well, right? So, is there a season for your purpose? You are given an appointed time in your life and things will happen.
2 A time to be born, and a time to die;
Ahh… yes. Reality is, you were born, and the other reality is that you will die. It doesn’t matter what you do to prolong the inevitable, that is the truth. Now, the other thing is taxes, you will pay them too. It’s not written here, but assume that it is also true.
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
Just like a gardener who plants seeds at certain times of the year, you too, need to plant in your life. For example, tulips. The bulbs are usually planted in the fall so that they can come up in the spring. But, the other side is, plucking out, taking away what has been planted. If what you planted isn’t growing, then it might be time to pluck it out and move on to different soil.
3 A time to kill, and a time to heal;
Now this isn’t a literal meaning of going out to kill. But sometimes it could mean killing off a toxic relationship, addiction, a horrible job, etc. Other times, it means healing that broken connection that was once severed.
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
You know the expression; if it ain’t broke; don’t break it. Breaking something down, and removing a wall in life is what you need. Then, building it up again, better and stronger than before.
4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
We all have weeping seasons. When you’re down to the last dollar and can’t pay for rent. You’ve lost your job and your kids are hungry. Your spouse has left you. You’ve been robbed, etc. The lists are long. These are cries for help. Don’t squash the weeping period. It could be a cleansing time.
And then there is a time for joy and laughter. Weddings, graduations, awards, vacations. Celebrate the victories! And if the people around you can’t celebrate with you, it’s time to change those people out. We should be happy for other people’s successes, not be grumpy or jealous of them.
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
The mourning, like death. We will all lose people we love in our lifetime. Mourning is God’s way of telling us we are mortal. We aren’t supposed to live forever in our flesh on this earth, but rather have eternal life with Him. In mourning, we grieve. No two people can grieve the same way. Give yourself time to mourn your losses.
On the other spectrum is dancing. You know the saying… dance like no one is watching. Move your body. I love it when little children just move and dance around. It’s so freeing. We need to tap into our “inner child” a lot more and be in awe and wonder.
5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
We all get hit (not in the literal sense) by someone who has tried hurting us. There will be times when you have to “cast away” those stones from making an emotional impact on your life. Learn to swerve to protect your soul. Then, there is the “gathering stones” season. Building up your armory to again, protect yourself, and your loved ones.
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
Hugging is great. Good for the soul. The touch of a human can heal. Hug if the season requires it. When you want to be alone, do that too. I always tell people the best conversations are with yourself.
6 A time to get, and a time to lose;
There will be winners and there will be losers. It happens in sports, it happens with the lottery, it happens with anything competitive. Learn to accept both in its due season.
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
For those that like to hold onto “stuff”, this is for you. That leather jacket you’ve had in your closet from 1977 that doesn’t fit, throw it away. Your grandmother’s wedding band, that, you can keep. Do some decluttering of your home and on your insides—your mind! There are moments when you need to decide when to draw a line versus hold the line. Use your discernment.
7 A time to rend, and a time to sew;
A time to tear up and throw away. Invest in a paper shredder. Stop looking at your ex-boyfriend’s high school love letters when your heart should be given to your current spouse.
Just like relationships gone bad, if it’s worthy of repairs, do it. Repent. Stop harboring stupid arguments that in reality won’t matter at the funeral.
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
There are seasons of silence. When people in your life are no good, the best thing to do is walk away. Don’t be suckered into a fight. However, when you believe in something. Stand up for it! Fight for it! Be brave.
8 A time to love, and a time to hate;
This one is tricky. Can you love and hate the same person at different times of your life? I believe so. Make sure that the hate part doesn’t last that long. Hate and strife can hurt your well-being.
a time of war, and a time of peace.
Well, no one is free of wars in their lives. Rumors of wars, family wars, generational wars, and on and on we go. As Solomon said… there is nothing new under the sun. Which also means there will be times of peace too. So, embrace the PEACE when it comes.
In all these verses, I found nothing here that tells to me to quit. This is the sum of our lives. It doesn’t go round and round like the earth. It’s seasonal. Some may experience all of these verses. Others, a few. Whatever the reason for the season in your appointed life, don’t quit, ever. I won’t and neither should you. And that’s what I’ve gathered from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.
I’ll leave you with this final quote, from the author himself, King Solomon: “Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.” Ecclesiastes 1:2; 12:8.
References:
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes+3%3A1-8&version=NKJV
Ecclesiastes 1:2. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes+1%3A2&version=NKJV
Ecclesiastes 12:8. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes+12%3A8&version=NKJV
https://www.learnreligions.com/king-david-leader-of-ancient-israel-2076644
https://www.learnreligions.com/king-solomon-wisest-man-who-ever-lived-701168
https://overviewbible.com/solomon/
Read the Books of 1 and 2 Samuel, and 1 and 2 Chronicles, Psalms, Nehemiah, and Mathew.