Know your limits pt3

Text: Ecclesiastes 7-8

D.T We can’t always control the world; but we can control how we use God's gifts 

Introduction 

Continue in our “Extreme Faith Makeover” series 

We’ve been discussing our limitations over the last several weeks

If we want to give our faith a makeover, we have to be honest about our limitations.

Two weeks ago we discussed the limitations of our lives, and the inevitable nature of death

Last week we discussed the limitations of our understanding

This week we will discuss the limitations of our control. Which is not a particular limitation we like to admit exists. 

Solomon will spend the rest of Chapters 7-8 talking about the limitations of our control. Near the end of chapter 8 Solomon will instruct us how we should deal with this limitation of control

Our control of how people view us is limited (READ Ecclesiastes 7:21-22

Ecclesiastes 7:21–22 ESV

Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. Your heart knows that many times you yourself have cursed others.

Solomon says if people talk about you behind your back, gossip about you, curse you or slander you. Don’t take it to heart! Let it roll off your backs

We hear this type of wisdom often. Sticks and stones may break, may break your bones but words will never hurt me. Solomon's take is a bit more sobering. He says don’t take their curses to heart, because you know you are guilty of cursing, gossiping, reviling yourself. 

We often don’t understand the nature of our harsh words until we are on the other side. 

Our control of Politics is limited (READ Ecclesiastes 8:2-8 

Ecclesiastes 8:2–8 ESV

I say: Keep the king’s command, because of God’s oath to him. Be not hasty to go from his presence. Do not take your stand in an evil cause, for he does whatever he pleases. For the word of the king is supreme, and who may say to him, “What are you doing?” Whoever keeps a command will know no evil thing, and the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way. For there is a time and a way for everything, although man’s trouble lies heavy on him. For he does not know what is to be, for who can tell him how it will be? No man has power to retain the spirit, or power over the day of death. There is no discharge from war, nor will wickedness deliver those who are given to it.

This is certainly more true in the days of Solomon than it is for us in 21st century America. Solomon was the King of Israel, a monarchy. The people living in Israel didn’t have control over who their king was. 

We live in a constitutional republic and we elect our officials through voting. So we have some measure of control over who governs us, however it’s not complete. Sometimes the people we vote for don’t win. So Solomon's point remains true enough in our context as well. 

Solomon understands that some people are going to be happy and joyful underneath a certain king's rule, and others are going to be miserable.  

Solomon realizes that within a king's rule there will be people claiming This king will lead us to ruin, this is the end of our civilization as we know it. While others will say This king will lead us to a golden age. 

Solomon also knows that when a new king takes the throne, people's positions can flip easily. 

Solomon reminds us that everything that happens occurs in its own designated time

The political landscape frequently shifts. 

Since you don’t know the future, the best thing you can do is obey the king. If you are miserable, continue to obey because things may change. If you are joyful, continue to obey if things change. 

Our control of Justice is limited (READ Ecclesiastes 8:9-14

Ecclesiastes 8:9–14 ESV

All this I observed while applying my heart to all that is done under the sun, when man had power over man to his hurt. Then I saw the wicked buried. They used to go in and out of the holy place and were praised in the city where they had done such things. This also is vanity. Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil. Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they fear before him. But it will not be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days like a shadow, because he does not fear before God. There is a vanity that takes place on earth, that there are righteous people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked, and there are wicked people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.

Sometimes secrets of people who are revered don’t come to light until after they are dead. 

Ravi Zacharias and abuse allegations post death. 

The manner in which justice alludes our control in this situation is different depending on who you ask.

One group will say Justice alluded to our control because the guilty party is dead, and therefore cannot be convicted. 

The other group will say Justice is alluding our control because the accused is dead and has no way to defend themselves. 

These are polar opposite reasons and motivations, however both cases show how sometimes Justice isn’t fully in our control.

Sometimes Justice isn’t administered as quickly as it should be, and we have little control over this. 

Sometimes the powers that be choose not to prosecute a person for their crimes, and their case is dismissed. Later on down the road that same person commits murder. A crime which would never have happened if they were convicted of their prior crime. The lack of prosecution of their prior crime emboldened them to commit crime.

Sometimes people in power are not convicted of their crimes in a timely fashion, that’s if they are convicted at all. This only emboldens other folks in power to not fear criminal prosecution

We see this, and it often enrages us, but we have little control over how Justice works in this situation. 

Sometimes those who practice evil get away with it, and those who do good get what those who are evil deserve. 

Conclusion: How do we face this uncomfortable truth? How do we reconcile that some important aspects in our lives will sometimes be out of our control? 

Enjoy life, and enjoy that it’s a gift from God

We cannot always control the rest of the world

However we can control how we use the of life God has given us