Thursday, May 7, 2015

Ecclesiastes 4:4-6 -- On Handfuls of Stress

"Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit.
The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.
Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit."
Ecclesiastes 4:4-6


This is an interesting passage about envy.  We often compare ourselves to each other, and want what each other has.  Someone has a nicer house, someone has a higher salary, someone has a more loving relationship, someone has children, or more children, someone else is in perfect health or just seems happier.  And, despite the fact that some of these things are ours, we want the ones that we don't have, and we let it grate at us, and make us feel that somehow life is unfair or we are getting a raw deal. :)  When we do this, we're like the foolish man, "eating his own flesh" ... meaning, destroying himself from inside with this envy.  I really like this last verse, because it is a good thing to think about.  Is it better to have less, and have peace in our hearts and our lives, than to worry about how much we have and feel robbed all the time?  The scripture says yes, and I think we can all agree if we think about it.  Having one handful of stuff and the other full of quietness and peace is better than two handfuls of stuff in your pockets and a double handful of stress to go along with it.  Today, let's try not to compare and worry about what we don't have.  Let's instead enjoy what God provides, and learn some contentment.

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