Consider the work of God; For who can make straight what He has made crooked?
In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: Surely God has appointed the one as well as the other, so that man can find out nothing that will come after him.
I have seen everything in my days of vanity:
There is a just man who perishes in
his righteousness, and there is a
wicked man who prolongs life in
his wickedness.
Do not be overly righteous, nor be overly wise: Why should you destroy yourself?
Do not be overly wicked, nor be foolish: Why should you die before your time?
It is good that you grasp this, and also not remove you hand from the other; For he who fears God will escape them all.
- Ecclesiastes 7: 13-18
For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin.
Also do not take to heart everything people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you.
For many times, also, your own heart has known that even you have cursed others.
- Ecclesiastes 7:20-22
I love Ecclesiastes.
I promised the Lord a quick peek at my Bible the other night, as I had spent most of my night reading a book other than the Bible and I was about to fall asleep, and these are the verses He gave me.
"Do not be overly wicked..." Does the Bible really say that? Yes.
So, is this something directed at me, a Believer? I thought I wasn't supposed to be wicked at all... or at least try not to be wicked, because the Bible also says that "...there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin." No one is perfect.
Really, though, the thing that struck me the most in this passage were verses 21 and 22. "Do not take to heart everything people say... For, ...your own heart has known that even you have cursed others."
It really speaks to me. Mostly because, about a week before I broke up with my boyfriend, he and I were at a park. He stopped to use the park's restroom, so I walked around the corner of the building past a few teenage boys. One of the boys made a remark about my body.
Now, my figure has always been a sore spot for me... parts of my figure, anyway. I actually don't even think the kid meant to offend, but I took it to heart... I really don't like the particular part of my body he mentioned, and, OBVIOUSLY, he shouldn't have said anything about said part of body anyway.
I was bothered by his comment. I was glad my ex-bf wasn't there to hear it, but it also put a seed of doubt into my mind about why my ex was dating me in the first place. It was not the only thing that led to our breakup, but I think it played its part in my mind.
ANYWAY, I usually don't hear the comments people make about me. I usually don't eavesdrop or listen to other people as I pass by them because I don't want to hear what they say. I'm just not interested, not curious, too self-conscious to know what they really think about me. And besides, I can't help what my body looks like, God made me, I didn't form myself.
So, the passage struck a chord, whether good or bad I don't know. The boy's comment still grates on my nerves and I still wonder what every man is thinking as I pass by. I never cared what the men thought before that.
So, should the comment be struck from the record? Should I force myself to forget? I think I probably should. I think that's why God gave me these verses. He knows that I say things about other people, too.
I'm just so SO self-conscious about my body, and after 26 years of life, a comment finally got to me. I am going to try to forget because I'm afraid I may never trust a man again if I don't...
Wow, I shared way more than I intended to.
- Elise
In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: Surely God has appointed the one as well as the other, so that man can find out nothing that will come after him.
I have seen everything in my days of vanity:
There is a just man who perishes in
his righteousness, and there is a
wicked man who prolongs life in
his wickedness.
Do not be overly righteous, nor be overly wise: Why should you destroy yourself?
Do not be overly wicked, nor be foolish: Why should you die before your time?
It is good that you grasp this, and also not remove you hand from the other; For he who fears God will escape them all.
- Ecclesiastes 7: 13-18
For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin.
Also do not take to heart everything people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you.
For many times, also, your own heart has known that even you have cursed others.
- Ecclesiastes 7:20-22
I love Ecclesiastes.
I promised the Lord a quick peek at my Bible the other night, as I had spent most of my night reading a book other than the Bible and I was about to fall asleep, and these are the verses He gave me.
"Do not be overly wicked..." Does the Bible really say that? Yes.
So, is this something directed at me, a Believer? I thought I wasn't supposed to be wicked at all... or at least try not to be wicked, because the Bible also says that "...there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin." No one is perfect.
Really, though, the thing that struck me the most in this passage were verses 21 and 22. "Do not take to heart everything people say... For, ...your own heart has known that even you have cursed others."
It really speaks to me. Mostly because, about a week before I broke up with my boyfriend, he and I were at a park. He stopped to use the park's restroom, so I walked around the corner of the building past a few teenage boys. One of the boys made a remark about my body.
Now, my figure has always been a sore spot for me... parts of my figure, anyway. I actually don't even think the kid meant to offend, but I took it to heart... I really don't like the particular part of my body he mentioned, and, OBVIOUSLY, he shouldn't have said anything about said part of body anyway.
I was bothered by his comment. I was glad my ex-bf wasn't there to hear it, but it also put a seed of doubt into my mind about why my ex was dating me in the first place. It was not the only thing that led to our breakup, but I think it played its part in my mind.
ANYWAY, I usually don't hear the comments people make about me. I usually don't eavesdrop or listen to other people as I pass by them because I don't want to hear what they say. I'm just not interested, not curious, too self-conscious to know what they really think about me. And besides, I can't help what my body looks like, God made me, I didn't form myself.
So, the passage struck a chord, whether good or bad I don't know. The boy's comment still grates on my nerves and I still wonder what every man is thinking as I pass by. I never cared what the men thought before that.
So, should the comment be struck from the record? Should I force myself to forget? I think I probably should. I think that's why God gave me these verses. He knows that I say things about other people, too.
I'm just so SO self-conscious about my body, and after 26 years of life, a comment finally got to me. I am going to try to forget because I'm afraid I may never trust a man again if I don't...
Wow, I shared way more than I intended to.
- Elise
