Ecclesiastes 3: A Lesson on the Hardships of Life

One of my lovely friends on a mission recently shared a few verses from Ecclesiastes 3 and I wanted to briefly write about them because I think they contain a simplistic and refreshing way of viewing life. Everything we experience in mortality can be calmed, understood, reconciled, and restored by these verses!

1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.

I love that this verse emphasizes the importance of everything--every life experience, every moment in time; even the mundane, day-to-day tasks can have spiritual purpose and fulfillment.

The footnote for “time” takes you to the Topical Guide, which includes Psalms 90:4-6, a prayer offered by Moses. In this prayer, Moses discusses the way our limited minds comprehend time versus the way God understands time. He essentially points out that our view of time is too small; we should be looking at the eternities like God does. I can’t fully wrap my mind around the idea of the eternities but it does provide me with encouragement and perspective. It helps me recognize that God’s plan fits perfectly into my earthly timeline and that He can help end and begin phases in my life at the exact time needed. Because He has a perfect perspective of what I need to feel, experience, and accomplish to help me progress, I can trust that the seasons of my life have a wise and holy purpose.

2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

From this verse on, Solomon uses anaphora and antithesis to emphasize the beauty and importance of every positive and negative moment in life. His repetition of “a time” paired with the antithesis that occurs at the end of each phrase (birth and death, etc.) is a very calm way of equally acknowledging the hardships and joys of life. Together, these literary devices frame life in a positive way. Pain is not overemphasized because each good and bad moment in life is treated with equal weight. While Christ can help our joy exceed our pain, the consideration that Solomon gives each kind of experience (in this verse and the following verses) in very wise. It helps us view life with a widened, if not eternal perspective. It gently reassures us that endings don’t need to be unnecessarily mourned over because there are so many good moments in life. There really are so many good moments to experience! Jokes to laugh over, embraces to enjoy, careers to explore, nature to appreciate, connections to make and maintain. Thus, life is full and enjoyable because it includes times of birth and death, planting and harvesting.

3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

This verse reiterates the point made in verse 2, explaining that endings and breakdowns are essential because they help us develop humility, experience healing, and initiate rebirth. There will be times where something is “killed” or ended and removed from existence. However, that will always be followed by a time of healing and rebuilding because “The Savior [and his Atonement] makes all things right"(Elder Christofferson).

4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

Again, tears will eventually dry and laughter will replace sobs because “God hath made [us] to laugh”(Genesis 21:6)! All sorrow and mourning shall flee away (Isaiah 51:11) when we turn to the comforting and understanding arms of our Savior. For Christ promises: “I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow”(Jeremiah 31:13). Christ’s ability to turn the deepest pain into the greatest joy is one of the main foundations of my testimony. I can’t briefly describe how he’s orchestrated this in my life. However, I can testify that Christ’s Atonement and grace have transformed sorrowful moments in my life into experiences of light, hope, and rebirth!

5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

….

17 I said in mine heart...there is a time...for every purpose and for every work.

Each “time” or moment in life has a purpose. There is a time for loss, silence, mourning, and endings. But there are also moments for rejoicing, laughing, and healing.

Ultimately, “Happiness, soul-deep happiness, has little to do with outward circumstances. It has everything to do with inner peace. And that peace comes when our lives are so in harmony with the Lord’s that the Holy Spirit can heal our broken hearts and make us whole. Inseparably connected to the Spirit of God, we can then claim our birthright—that peace, that joy which passes all understanding”(R. Val Johnson).

Life becomes wonderful when we accept good and bad seasons and recognize that no matter what happens, the Lord "can heal our broken hearts and make us whole".