We must use the unchanging principles of God's ways to handle the changing situations. We must read the seasons and see the trend and choose the right combinations of factors to handle the situation in order to gain success. Though such wisdom is powerful to save a city, it could also destroy one and hence wisdom must comes under the control of righteousness.The second group that I led had a study on Ecclesiastes 9 (see Advice For Handling Our Uncertain Future for the chapter study) and we have some new discoveries. Here are the main lessons learned:
- While the future is uncertain except for death, we must know that God is in control of all. We must put our trust in His promises and His ways (Rom 8:28). We use the unchanging righteous ways of God to handle the uncertain and changing situations.
- Even though the good and evil people all die eventually as if there is no benefits to do good, it is important to live a life accountable to God (Ecc 11:9, 12:14) and take heed of the warning that a sinner can use wisdom to destroy much.
- When the dead cannot see and feel any more in this world, it is not true that his influence dies with him. The living now are influenced much by the philosophies and values of the great people of the past e.g. Confucius, Aristotle especially Jesus Christ, our Savior.
- What we do in this life affects our lives after death(how we invest in heaven) and impact the lives of others now and in future generations.
- We are to fully live out this life on earth by enjoying and giving our best in our work, food, spouse, and others. Yet we must know that we are spiritual beings with physical bodies. We don't go to one extreme of denoucing our bodies nor the other extreme of living just for our physical bodies. We live out our lives meaningfully with both aspects of spiritual and physicall mutually supporting each other.
- The wisdom of how to live out this life successfully is to recognise that
- There are multiple factors at play - 1 speed, 2 strength, 3 knowledge, 4 smartness(entrepreneuship) and 5 craftmanship.
- Know the Kairos Opportune Time and Trends - the seasons and stages. As in Ecc 3, the right action must fit the right time. Different seasons and stages need different kind of approaches.
- There must be the right balance of the five factors for the different stages of life.
- Wisdom is most powerful but may not bring forth money or honor. Your contribution may be forgotten like the poor man who saved the city. Nevertheness, know that wisdom is powerful and hence must be guided by righteous character and values or else it will create great destruction.
Lim Liat (c) 29 June 2014