Solomon has seen how we have burdens in life. But then he goes on to say everything is beautiful in its time. Ecclesiastes 3: 10 I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. 11 Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. [1] What is beautiful? All the things that Solomon listed before this. Some of these things we would not consider beautiful. There is a time to die, kill, tear down, cry, and grieve. These are not pleasant but are included in the part that is made beautiful.
We have seen how God can use burdens to grow our faith. So the things we struggle with in life are used to make us stronger. That is certainly one way that these times can be beautiful. We don’t need to consider difficult times to be curses and obstacles; instead, God can use these times to bless us.
Can Enemies Be Beautiful?
A friend listed groups of people that he had learned from in life. This list included heroes, models, mentors, peers, and friends. And then he added one more group, enemies. I was confused. He went on to explain. While enemies often have opposite opinions, they attack and expose our motives. If we are willing to listen to them, they expose our self-centeredness, self-righteousness, and arrogance.
Now, some discernment is needed as we sort through charges made by our enemies. We must differentiate truth from lies. But our enemies can be brutally honest and reveal blindspots in our lives. We may not see the problem, but they have no trouble telling us about it. We can’t fix a problem until we know there is one. So, if we are willing to do some self-discovery, our enemies can give us valuable information. They become beautiful in their time.
Jesus Commanded Us to Love Our Enemies
Matthew 5: 43 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven.[2]
Luke 6: 27 “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. 28 Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.[3]
John 13: 34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.[4]
Jesus commands us to love each other because He loves us, and we follow His way. Another reason Jesus told us to love our enemies is because they can give us vital information. It may be painful to hear, but useful in the long run. Even our enemies can become beautiful in their time.
To learn more about beautiful in its time, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/lament-time
[1-4] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Tyndale House Publishers.