Ecclesiastes: Chapter 10:

Chapter 10: Wisdom

Shelf Road | Canon City, Colorado

We can make all the right choices and live a life of wisdom for 40, 50, 60 years. But, make one mistake, and you can be known as a fool amongst men for making one foolish choice. Regardless of how wise you are, you may never escape the perception of the one foolish thing that you did. This is another reminder that we can never be perfect and as Christians we should exemplify this notion. Because we are far from perfect, the antithesis of the Gospel is perfection. We are broken, hence why we needed Christ to die on the cross to cover our sins. There was no plan B. We couldn't do it. We should share our weaknesses with others and exalt God who makes us strong in our weaknesses. A wise man will do this, share his burdens and confront his sins openly with friends. This will help draw us to goodness, kindness, mercy, and grace because we don't see ourselves (or project ourselves) as someone who is perfect and never makes mistakes. Only a fool will say that he is without sin and never says that he is on fire (when he is in fact, on fire). This is something I struggled with for many years (if you read back through my blog I mention struggling with deceit, lying, manipulation, etc.) I wanted to project that I had everything going perfectly for me. I was very outspoken about not lying, cheating, watching pornography or being sinful. I wouldn't say it, but I would project it in how I did things, my responses to other people who struggled with sinful behavior, I would act concerned for them, but I never admitted to the same struggles, I just let them talk to me and I would portray myself as superman by never admitting to the same issues. I would act like I knew the answer to the problem and point them in the right direction, knowing that I myself couldn't escape the same sin they were stuck in. I was a fool (and still am) but I learned through pain and suffering that God never meant for us to try to battle the sin that is within us on our own. We can't beat it. We must seek His word, the church, community, close friends, family, etc. and expose our hearts to them and seek healing through hard work and prayer. It isn't easy, but it is necessary for a healthy life.

Those who have been given the gift of patience are truly blessed by God. If we can maintain a calm demeanor through turmoil, it will be very beneficial in life. Not only for our emotional state of being, but for those around us who know they can come to us with anything and they will not be met with shouting and angry behavior. | "Seek first to understand, then to be understood." Dr. Steven Covey |This is one of the most important aspects of remaining calm in a situation of high-stress. If we can try and understand where the other person is coming from we can better see the why behind the action. It is not our job to judge the person, we must judge the action. However, we cannot judge the action until we have the context around it. If we think that passing judgment is something that is done in an instant, we are wrong and we shouldn't be doing that. You must know a person very well before you try to call out the sin that is in their life. Otherwise, you will do a lot of damage that will more than likely never be restored. Foolishness is thinking that we are wise when we are not, we lack judgment. We are all sinners, regardless of whether not you are saved, and without Christ all of us would perish and spend an eternity absent God. Yes, we are saved by grace and Christ takes our punishment on the cross, but we are still sinners. We will continue to sin until the day we die and become perfect in Him.

Until Christ returns, we should learn to speak wisely, not foolishly. We must learn that regardless of how much information we obtain that we are still broken people in a fallen world, we should never hoist ourselves up or pat ourselves on the back. Don't be consumed by our own foolishness by believing the lie that we are, at our core, good people. (It will leave you broken and depressed or will turn you into a liar because you'll be forced to fake it.) We are selfish, greedy, and evil people who are in desperate need of a savior. I look at myself, from the outside, I probably look like a good person to most people. I attend church, I am a leader in a Bible study, I pray, I read scripture, I encourage others, I long to live a life that praises and glorifies God | Yet, I know my heart. I hear my thoughts everyday | I know where my eyes wander and have wandered. I know that my thoughts need to be cleansed and many of my memories are filled with sinful behavior. I know that when I am driving I judge people in my head. I know that my body has been tainted by sin through taking God's creation and perverting it. I judge others in my mind and speak to my ego about how much better I am than them. These are real things that I struggle with every day. Yet, I love the Lord and even more than that, He loves me. Far beyond any realization of love that I know or will ever be able to understand. I know this and I believe it with all my heart, body and soul. At the end of my life, I will bring my filthy rags before the King and He will say: I see nothing but the cross. Christ paid the price for all the sin I have done, I am doing, and will do. He is enough.

Dear Lord, I pray that you will continue to draw me closer through my shortcomings. Please don't turn away from me or relinquish your presence for even a second, I am lost without Your presence. Let me be a light in a dark world and let me expose my darkness through repentance and prayer. Show me how to overcome my struggles and honor You. Amen. 

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