Proverbs 14:30, Ecclesiastes 4:4-8
August 8, 2021
Proverbs 14:30
A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.
Ecclesiastes 4:4-8
4 And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
5 Fools fold their hands and ruin themselves.
6 Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.
7 Again I saw something meaningless under the sun: 8 There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. “For whom am I toiling,” he asked, “and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?” This too is meaningless— a miserable business!
Read Proverbs 14:30
- What is so dangerous about envy? How is it that it rots the bones?
- What does it take to move from envy toward having a heart at peace?
- Where does envy show up in your life? How strongly does it show up?
Read Ecclesiastes 4:4-8
- Ecclesiastes is a very unique book. If you are not familiar with it, check out this link to get some context about what the book as a whole is about:
How did the overview of Ecclesiastes inform your understanding of these verses?
Verse 6 suggests that a spirit of contentment is very important. To what extent to you personally struggle with being content? Where does that struggle show up in your life?
Verses 7 and 8 all by themselves are kind of depressing. What is the larger point the author is leading towards here?