Lesson 8: So What's It All Mean, Then?
We've torn these five books of the Old Testament apart; now, it's time to build them back up. In this section, we examine relationships among the ideas found in these five books of the Bible. Reading is fine, but what can I take from these parts of the Bible to apply to my own life?
Ideas you're allowed to forget
1. Forget about Job wallowing in self-pity at some points. He had his focus on God, and never wavered. At one point, even his wife told him to give up on God, and he didn't. He stayed the course, and ultimately was rewarded. EVERYBODY has their bad moments; Job just had most of his happen to him in a single day. Considering what took place, he held up remarkably well!
2. Forget the negativity of Psalms. Focus on powerful praise and all the forms that it can take. There is enough negativity in our lives, and while it is there in the Bible, too, we can benefit more by focusing on how to be positive than on how not to be negative. Again, you can draw strength from the negative, knowing that even great followers of God had their bad days, but there’s enough negative news out there to fill the media as it is. Stay positive! Do those daily affirmations.
3. Forget that Solomon didn't follow his own advice. God gave Solomon great wisdom, but like everyone else, Solomon was also given free will--an ability to make his own decisions, and his own mistakes. His advice in the books of the Bible that he authored (especially Proverbs) is, overall, sage advice that we can follow. By striving to follow his advice, and not his actions, we will surely improve our lives! We don’t give up on life because of Adam and Eve’s mistakes—we don’t toss out Solomon’s wisdom because of his shortcomings.
4. Forget Solomon's ranting about the "meaningless" life. Because he didn't follow his own advice, he experienced pain and displeasure. He learned his mistake, and STILL didn't change. He knew what made life meaningful, and yet he STILL turned away from it. We don’t have to do that; we always have the same choice Solomon had… and we have the benefit of being able to learn from his mistakes.
5. Forget the hair like goats and teeth like sheep--images of love found in Song of Songs that just don't work for us today. Times change. Language changes. But love remains. Find the words that work for you, and use them. Can you think of up-to-date images that truly describe what your mate means to you? Some images NEVER go out of date—I think flowers are forever…
6. Forget about finding perfection. You don't need perfect words. The act of writing your feelings down or expressing them to your lover (especially through poetry!) is such a gift and so meaningful in and of itself that the imperfections will not be noticed. It's the act of giving and sharing that counts.
7. Forget about awkwardness. If you have trouble verbalizing your emotions, WRITE! You can always read what you have written to your loved one later. Writing also gives you the chance to edit BEFORE you speak--invaluable for some of us! Especially for those of us with a quick tongue, and a tendency to speak before we think. Writing is a good way to have self-control, one of the qualities mentioned in Galatians 5:22 (the fruit of the Spirit).
