Job 5:2 (NRSV) Surely vexation kills the fool, and jealousy slays the simple.
Our men’s Bible study meets at 6:30 a.m. every Wednesday in our parish hall. As I write this, we are studying the book of Job—a tough read. One feels for Job, who has lost just about everything and is getting a lot of advice from his friends. Peter Drucker, renowned management guru, wrote in his book, The Effective Executive, “Help is defined by the recipient.”
In other words, we aren’t necessarily helping others if it is only by our definition of what help means—if we alone determine what is helpful without considering how helpful it might actually be to the other person.
Still, I like Eliphaz the Temanite’s advice to Job—even if it was not particularly appropriate at the time. Worry and resentment are two mostly useless thoughts or feelings. They accomplish little and have no effect on the problem at hand—they just wear you down and make you feel bad. I gave the worry and resentment up for Lent many years ago and thank God that more constructive thoughts and feelings abound. You don’t have to wait until Lent to follow Eliphaz’s advice.
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