Solomon’s practical counsel
Spotlight on Ecclesiastes 7:1-14
“Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us.”- Ecclesiastes 7:3
In Ecclesiastes 6:12 Solomon asks the following question: “In the few days of our meaningless lives, who knows how our days can best be spent? Our lives are like a shadow.” It would appear that he is attempting to answer that question, at least in part, in these 14 verses that open chapter 7.
While the saying “laughter is the best medicine” may be true, our inner self, our serious side, craves answers to the deeper questions. We experience many sorrows in this life. Sorrow causes us to be introspective. Many times, we wish to go off by ourselves and reflect on life in general and life as it pertains to us. In that regard sorrow is better than laughter. Note the verse isn’t saying laughter is bad, just that sadness refines us.
In the refining of steel, the process requires furnace temperatures of anywhere from 7000 to 10,000 degrees. Any impurities come to the surface and are scooped off. These impurities are called ‘dross’. Life can be like a steel refinery in that our inadequacies, our weaknesses, our flaws come to the surface during trials of sorrow. They can be scooped out by the Holy Spirit, thus making us a little more refined as we strive to be like Christ.
Sorrow tends to bring out our innermost thoughts so that we can make a true evaluation of ourselves. It can be a painful process because it is never easy to inflict pain on oneself. But just as you must cut yourself to get out the venom from a snake, the process is necessary to grow.
Never underestimate the value of sorrow, for it comes to us all, and it can allow us to mature in ways nothing else can. “True wisdom is developed in the crucible of life’s trials.” [1] Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.
Richard Keller
Bread of Life Ministries
Resources: New Bible Commentary (Copyright: Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship, Leicester, England, 1953, 1954, 1970, 1994 All rights reserved.); NIV Biblical Theology & Study Bible (Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan).
[1] John MacArthur Study Bible, 2nd Edition (Copyright © 1997, 2006, 2019 by Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.)
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