Transitional Friday: Ecclesiastes 3: 6-10, God has a time and purpose for everything

Last week we began talking about the various seasons of life mentioned in the book of Ecclesiastes.   This week let’s take a look at the deep commitments and inner decisions that relate to the spirit and soul.  The two examples for each are opposites of one another. search

a time to search—there is a time when we need to search for what’s next in our life, whether it is a spouse, job, house, friendships, etc.

a time to give up—and there is also a time when these have served a purpose in our lives and we need to give these up.

a time to keep—there are some things we never need to give up, such as our morals and values

a time to throw away—sometimes there are things in our lives we need to throw away.  This can be our habits, resentments and attitudes, or physical items such as old clothing, out of date electronics or clearing out a room, attic or garage.

a time to tear—there is a time to cry or tear up, also to pull apartlove

a time to mend—there is a time to heal and bring back to gather

a time to be silent—we’ve all heard the adage that “silence is golden”; there are times when it is better to say nothing and to be silent

a time to speak—there are other times when we need to speak up and share, especially if there is something bringing harm to another person

a time to love—God is all about love and wants us to love others the way He would love them

a time to hate—we can often hate the actions of an individual or group, such as when John Newton {author of Amazing Grace} realized his lifestyle of selling slaves was wrong.  He changes his heart, hated the actions and fought to change the laws.

a time for war—there is a time when war is necessaryGods perfect timing

a time for peace—there is a time when war is not needed and we should embrace peace.

What do workers gain from their toil?—what do we gain from our efforts and hard work?  Is it worth it?
 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race—the choice God gives us in choosing the actions to take is a heavy one.  Often the lines may seem blurred and the best guidance is to seek God.

God has a time and purpose for everything.  We need to remember to seek Him through prayer and Bible study through these life altering decisions.

Which of these decisions has been a struggle for you?

 

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God has a time and purpose for everything