A Godly LifeSample

Are believers destroyers?

I can never read the third chapter of Ecclesiastes without hearing the Byrds’ version of Pete Seeger’s folk song “Turn! Turn! Turn!” in my head. King Solomon’s original words are a poetic and honest summary of the often paradoxical opposites of life. We can readily understand some of these pairs — such as “There is a time to be silent and a time to speak” — but is God really giving his blessing on “a time to kill” and “a time to hate”?

Are believers sometimes supposed to be destroyers? “There is a time for everything . . . a time to tear down and a time to build” (Ecclesiastes 3:1,3). Well, yes. Israel’s golden calf needed to be torn down. The better kings of Judah periodically had to launch spiritual reformations that included tearing down of altars built to idols like Baal and Asherah.

Sometimes the tearing down is just something old and small and worn-out to make room for something bigger and better. Sometimes it is the times in our lives when we need to downsize, to travel lighter. Or perhaps it’s a part of our lives that is destructive, like heavy drinking and a party lifestyle that has to go if you are going to follow Christ.

Is this a time for tearing down or building in your life?