There’s a Right Time for It | Ecclesiastes 8

is the fruits of the spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentle, self-control. And I feel like-- - Good! - Oh! (laughing) - Skylar. - Skylar. - I think there's something to, I think wisdom is the stuff that brings out of it. It's almost like if that's the fruit of the spirit, wisdom is like the fertilizer that like makes it so that stuff can grow. So, and even sometimes, you know, there's like stuff that sounds like it's wise, and then it's-- - It is not. - And it sounds good and it rhymes, maybe. - Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. - But it's just like it's not fertilizer, it's just actual crap. - Yeah. (laughing) - Oh, yeah, man. - This is the Crossroads Daily. No experts, no perfect people. Just honest conversations about what happens when the Bible shows up in real life. (upbeat music) Welcome back to Crossroads Daily, my name's Caleb.

I'm Miko. - Vivian. - I'm Zach. - We are in Ecclesiastes chapter eight today. We're trucking forward on this Book of Wisdom from King Solomon. And don't let it put you off if you have not read it or worried about reading it or you did read it and you're like, man, this is heavy. It is a little heavy, but we're finding the gold in it. We're finding the gold in it together. Here's something I wanna toss to you guys. Okay, this is Ecclesiastes. We're in chapter eight today. This is chapter eight, verse five. My translation of the Bible says, a wise heart knows the right time and procedure. For every activity, there is a right time and procedure. A wise heart knows the right time and procedure. So let's start here. How do you define wisdom? And how do you know when you see it? What is wisdom? Oh boy. I mean, apparently it's knowing the right time and procedure. - Clearly. - But what does that mean? - I mean, where are we going with this? Are we going biblical wisdom? Are we just going like?

- I mean, you can give me street wisdom if you want. - Yeah. - Whatever. - That's the right time. - That's the right time. - Business wisdom. - I don't know. - Any wisdom. - I don't know if you know upfront that it's wisdom. Sometimes I wanna hear something and I'll go, I put it through some filters and I'll go, oh no, that is good. And sometimes it's things that I don't really wanna hear, but I know that actually, biblically, it's sound. And so I'm like, oh, that's wisdom that God needs me to hear. - So it sounds a little bit like what you're saying is, you know it's wisdom after you've applied it or when you start to apply it, is that what you're saying? - Yeah, maybe it's because when I hear it, then I reflect on, what does that mean for me? And then I realize, oh, actually it's at the heart of something that maybe I'm dealing with at the time. Like I'll say, a person that I go to for wise counsel, spiritual direction, she really challenged me that I wasn't making time in my life to just sit in here from God. I was so busy doing things, being hurried and everything. And she did it in the absolute nicest way,

but she said, you know, do you have quiet time? And I was like, yeah, I do. And I'm trying to read through this Bible in a year and I'm praying for people. And then she's like, no, just time where you sit and you go, read deeply, God, what do you have for me? She's like 15 minutes, like 15 minutes to be quiet. And I'm embarrassed to tell you, but it's been hard for me to do 15 minutes a day where I just sit and I'm quiet. And I'll maybe bring a notepad with things so I can write things down that I hear or when I get distracted to just to go back to it. But she was absolutely right that I get so hurried that I don't take the time to reflect and let God bring things to mind. So I was like, that was wisdom. - Yeah, right, yes, 'cause then you applied it and you saw that it actually worked, right? - Yeah, yeah, I think, I don't know. I'm in a season now where it's like, if it's wisdom, it's gonna be like God breathed for me. Because I think that living, I often look back on like things that I thought were wise in certain seasons. So like in past season, my life things, beliefs, ideologies that we clung to, that we live by. Where I'm like, that is so stupid to me. You know what I'm talking about? - Yeah. - Yeah, like, and so I don't know.

So for me, it's gonna be, whether you know it or not, it's going to align with scripture or somehow God is going to affirm. Like it's gonna speak to my spirit, right? Where I'm like, okay God, this is more than just like a good idea. There's some depth to this, you know what I mean? And I recognize your hand in it. on it in order for me to consider wisdom. - I think wisdom is like the, it's almost like, the things that God wants for us is the fruits of the spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentle, and self-control. And he's like, "Good, what?" (all laughing) - Scott, I think there's something to, I think wisdom is the stuff that brings out of it. It's almost like if that's the fruit of the spirit, wisdom is like the fertilizer that makes it so that stuff can grow. So, and even sometimes, you know, there's like stuff that sounds like it's wise, and then it's-- - It is not. - And it sounds good and it rhymes, maybe. (all laughing) But it's just like, it's not fertilizer, it's just actual crap. - Yeah. (all laughing) - Wow. - Wow.

- I remember somebody saying that wisdom was noticing the patterns and then taking appropriate action based upon those patterns. - That's good. - And when you say that, I'm like, "Wow, I'm an idiot." - Yes. - I miss a whole lot of patterns, literally yesterday. There's a pattern in my life that I do not give enough time to get home to do the next thing, right? And so yesterday, I had about an hour long drive to get to my house, so it's gonna take the kids to cross-country practice, right? And so obviously, to get there by three, I need to leave it too. Well, how come I thought I could do it by leaving it to 15? Like, this is a consistent thing. I am. - Yeah, right. - Dad is late. And I hate that. I don't want to be dad is late. - Right, yeah. - They're like, "Yeah, dad's coming." He's gonna be late, right? - Yeah. - I'm ignoring the pattern that I do not set enough time and not taking appropriate action. That was me being unwise yesterday. Sorry, kids. - Mm-hmm. - Yeah.

- And that's why I like the scripture, right? 'Cause it says, "A wise heart knows the right time and procedure." - Yeah. - It's noticed and it acts appropriately. - Yeah. - Is there a time when you have done the right thing but with the wrong procedure, at the wrong time or with the wrong words or with the wrong attitude? - I mean, I can think of times I asked out girls and they were like, "I have a boyfriend." (all laughing) - That's a great thing. - That's a really bad time. - Really bad time. - Wrong time. (all laughing) - That's what you need to tell. - That's what you need to tell them about. - Yeah. - We could fix that. - Yeah, yeah. - That's funny. Anything else that comes with mine, maybe it was the right intent but it was the wrong. - Yeah, I think I feel like I do that regularly. I think that's one of the things that just places me so in awe of Jesus where it's like imperfect. It's not that you're just like perfect in what you do.

It's the perfect tone, it's the perfect timing. It's the perfect way to do a thing, the perfect way to say a thing. Like to just like all of that. Like you just got it all right, you know? And then you're still clothed in humility, you know? 'Cause if I got it all right all the time, I would have a hard time staying humble in there. Like if everything that comes out of my mouth, it's the perfect thing to say at the perfect time and it's the perfect way. I would, I'm kind of perfect. You know what I'm saying? I'm gonna walk around like that, but I don't know. So, but man, like I think, I don't know. I think regularly, man, like even in conversations with my wife where I'll just notice like, I'm saying a thing because it seems like this is the thing to be said in that moment. And it's like, okay, maybe there's truth to that, Nico, but is that what this moment requires? You know what I'm saying? Like is that, who is that benefiting? Other than you recognizing like this is what, this is the answer right here or this is how this should go. And I think, for me, I don't know, it goes back to that place of just humility and just like being aware like who am I serving in this moment? And I don't know, getting back to that space

so that I can like pivot to, okay, maybe I should shut up right now. Or maybe I should just listen right now, you know? Yeah, I mean, there's a super level of humility in it to recognize it might feel like the right time and procedure for me, but it may not be the right time and procedure for you. And I can barrel forward because it makes me feel good. Or I can wait until you're ready. You know what I mean? Especially when it's like the thing that you're saying, it feels right, you know what I'm saying? It doesn't feel like you're just, I don't know, whatever. It feels like, no, there is truth to this. There is, there is knowledge in this, right? But it's applied wrongly or with the wrong motive or at the wrong time, as you were saying. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I have learned, you know, conversations around our schedule with me, my wife shouldn't happen at 10.30 a night when we're laying in bed. She is not ready to talk about the calendar, even though I may be ready. I need to notice that pattern. That is a dumb time to have a conversation, right? Or it's dumb to try to have like a rational conversation with my kid while they're sobbing, right? 'Cause they're in an emotional state in their head. They're not ready to have like a, so let dad give you the lesson you should have recognized

and that would have saved you from this pain, right? I could've saved this." You know, but no, it's about them. It's not about me. And there's wisdom in that humility, I think. - So true. What is, what's the last wise thing you feel like you learned or heard from somebody else? Did you do a quick, little popcorn? If you can think of something. - I will say, I just went through the listening training. - Which is training to teach you how to be a better listener. - Yes. And I did not realize how hard that was. - Oh, I was terrible. - Terrible. And I went through that training. I was like, "Oh, this is good." - Yeah, and it took a while for me to even wrap my head around like the purpose of it because I'm like, so I'm just supposed to sit here while they talk and listen, you know? But, right, you know, but it's like recognizing like that this is the way that you serve them in that moment, right? As they're venting or as they're, you know, not redirecting them or, you know-- - Or problem solving. - Exactly, yeah. And I've seen like, I've recognized moments in conversations recently where I'm like,

I think that's the wisest thing to do right now. Like this isn't, I'll go into default mode where we're just having a conversation and then I'll realize halfway through it where I'm like, no, this is just the time to listen. And so I don't know if it's not something that's been said to me, but it's definitely felt like, you know, it's just wisdom that I've been applying or I've seen, you know, I've been aware of and then seeing opportunities to apply later. - Right. - Great. - I'm still working on that space, time with God. Every day, trying to apply so I don't, 'cause it takes a while to change your habits. And so, yeah, I'm still chewing on that one and trying to do it. And I'll just say I miss it a bunch of times and then I just try it again. - Yeah, yeah. I just hear it over and over, it's not about you, Caleb. - Mm. - It's just so easy to be so mean. - Dang. - And make it about me. It is actually not about you. Like, okay, that's what I'm saying. - Gotta take that one too because that's also something. (laughing) - We all can.

- Yeah, it's too open. That word as well. - All right, as the scripture says, a wise heart knows the right time and procedure. Think about your day, maybe you're watching this at the beginning of the day, maybe it's the middle or the end of the day. Whatever you got coming ahead of you, there is a right time and a right procedure to do it. Think about other people more than yourself and it might work out really, really well. We'll see you next time. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) [MUSIC PLAYING]