Words to Live By

Here’s a verse from the Book of Ecclesiastes that a friend of mine shared with me tonight. It’s a verse she has found to be a key part of her personal spiritual practice.

When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.
Ecclesiastes 7:14 NIV

I think that this translation or interpretation makes more clear what the writer of Ecclesiastes was trying to say:

Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. Remember that nothing is certain in this life.
Ecclesiastes 7:14 NLT

These are indeed words to live by. It is so true that none of us knows what tomorrow may bring. We all have our share of the “good stuff” and it’s just as certain that the “bad stuff” comes around with regularity.

And time often has a way of helping us see the the “good times” may not have been as good as it seemed, and the “bad” not as bad, perhaps.

But while you’re in it, whether it seems good or bad at the time, remember that the wheel will turn; other experiences will come around. And that God, or the Universe or the Divine One brings them all to you.

Brother Ben

Published by stfranman

I am a man who strives to be compassionate and believes that the life and teachings of Jesus still show us how to live and how to treat others in the 21st Century.***I believe that the tide of ugliness coming from elected officials and so-called leaders of the evangelical churches is a tragedy and must be countered with a renewed emphasis on modeling the compassion, teaching and life of Jesus.***I also believe that we have failed miserably in our stewardship of the Earth, our common home, and that this is also a grave failure of our corporate will and must be addressed.***These two horrible trends--the abrogation of the clear teachings of Jesus to follow in his footsteps and our failings to care for the Earth and all its inhabitants--must be resisted, must be countered with clear teachings and committed actions.***That is the mission, the driving force, behind our movement. View all posts by stfranman

3 thoughts on “Words to Live By”

Jules says:

March 3, 2019 at 11:05 pm

This is more perfect than you can imagine!

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1. stfranman says:
  
  March 3, 2019 at 11:09 pm
  
  Thank you! And thank you for sharing how much this passage means to you. I love the many ways inspiration comes. Often through good friends. It’s enough to make me stop channeling my “inner hermit!”
  
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Stacey Dalili says:

March 21, 2019 at 5:50 pm

“God is all things or it is nothing” is one of the spiritual teachings I have been digesting as of late… a slightly different perspective of the same verse… it is a more generalized statement though, extending the view/scope of God’s… hand? seed? part in our lives? from only knowing God as separate from us and “moving” our lives to knowing God as a part of us or us a part of God. And not just “us” humans, but EVERYTHING and EVERYONE (and yes, even Donald Trump)… the good, the bad, the ugly, the fear, suffering, the love.

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