Tag: reputation

Sorrow is Better than Laughter

Old Testament: 1 Chronicles 13 & 14

Poetry: Ecclesiastes 7

New Testament: Philippians 4:9

In the first half of chapter 7, Solomon moves to consider some enigmas of life by listing several proverbial sayings for the reader to ponder that take the form of “better-than” statements.

  • A “good name” is better than “good perfume” (v. 1)
  • The day of a person’s “death” is better than the day of their “birth” (v. 1)
  • The “house of mourning” is better than the “house of feasting” (v. 2)
  • “Sorrow” is better than “laughter” (v. 3)
  • The “rebuke of a wise person” is better than the “song of fools” (v. 5)
  • The “end of a matter” is better than the “beginning” (v. 8)
  • A “patient spirit” is better than a “proud spirit” (v. 8)

A “good name” is more valuable than “good perfume” (which was costly) because the price for a good reputation was invaluable in the biblical world. The “perfume” could allude to the fragrant oil used in funeral preparations or a figurative reference to wealth and luxury, but given the parallelism with the second line, it more likely is suggesting the act of being anointed and given honor and praise because of something you did. Being anointed lasts for a moment but then is gone, while a good “name” endures even long after a person dies.

The “day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s birth” means that the day someone is born is the beginning of a long journey of life, in which depending upon one’s choices, it may not result in good reputation (i.e., “name”) in the end. Whereas on the day of one’s death, their reputation is secure, and they can find rest from the frustration and pointlessness of life which has preoccupied them for all these years. Someone might have a good name, but before they die, anything could happen, and they might ruin their reputation and mar their good name.

The main point seems to be that it is better to leave behind a good reputation as the legacy of your life than to be honored and praised with expensive ointment.

“Better to go to the house of mourning” refers to a house that is conducting a funeral, meaning to go to visit and comfort the family of the dead person and to ponder the reality and significance of death as it relates to how we should live. “Going” to the “house of mourning” doesn’t mean that is where you live or spend all of your time. It is depressing and emotionally distressing to constantly think about death and be around such grief and sorrow all the time. But, if given the two choices of either going to a house of mourning or going to a house where there is a feast and party, the Sage (Solomon) says that it is “better” to go to the house of mourning because death is the end of all people and we cannot lose our understanding of that and live as if we take life for granted and will live to be old and gray.

“Sorrow is better than laughter” is true because the “sorrow” of death brings life into perspective and provides a reason for contemplation of weightier matters, whereas “laughter” does not promote serious reflection.

The “house of mourning” is preferred to the house of “merrymaking” because some people don’t give much thought about tomorrow or their own mortality. They just want to have a good time and enjoy life in the here and now. The problem is not that it is wrong to enjoy the present moment and celebrate when it is time to celebrate (remember there is a time for everything, including joy and laughter), but that cannot be where our attention predominantly resides. We must keep our eye on the future and the reality of how brief life truly is, and therefore, we must take care how we live in light of the universal future destiny of humankind—death. And thus, a funeral puts life into perspective vastly more so than a party or celebration.

The “rebuke of a wise person” is better than the “song of fools” is preferred because listening to the “rebuke” from one wise person is superior to the “song” that is sung by many fools since the “rebuke” is helpful for understanding one’s error and therefore how to correct and improve their situation while the “songs” of fools only inflates one’s ego and makes them feel good about themselves but does nothing for rending growth or advancement in how to best live life. Thus, the rebuke and instruction of one wise person outweighs the accolades and compliments that could be sung by a hundred fools.

Lastly, the “end of a matter” is better than the “beginning” since it is only at the end that a person can have gained perspective and wisdom for experience has taught him what he could not know beforehand. No perspective can be formed at the outset of a matter but only after it has transpired can one then see clearly. And a “patient spirit” is better than a “proud spirit” because the patient person does not succumb to the consequences of rash and impetuous behavior. The patient person acts cautiously and with wisdom thereby avoiding many dangers and pitfalls in life, unlike the proud and arrogant person who acts precipitously.

-Jerry Wierwille

-sorry we are late in getting today’s out!

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Your Reputation Precedes You

2 Thessalonians 1

Friday, September 2

In a small school, the teachers seem to know who most people are, whether it is because of their achievements or their families.  At the beginning of each new school year, they try to figure out if they know you.  However, for them to know who you are, somebody else has had to tell them about you, and whatever they’ve been told is the reputation that you start with, in that class.  It’s great if they had positive things to say about you, but for those who didn’t have great things said about them, it can hurt.


Verse 4 of 2 Thessalonians 1 says, “Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.”  Paul is telling the Thessalonians that he tells all the other believers about their great faith.  It is one thing for Paul to go tell the Thessalonians that they are doing really well as they stand firm in their faith, but it is a whole other thing when he goes to tell everyone else about it.


Is your faith so evident that people talk about it with others?  The Thessalonians had faith like that and we should too.  The Thessalonians’ faith was strong enough that the other believers were talking about it among themselves, but what’s even more important is that those who aren’t believers notice our faith.  We need to work to be that light in other people’s lives that they might talk about and wonder about it.


Matthew 5:16 says, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”  We need to make sure that when we do try to make our faith evident, it isn’t so that we are praised for it.  We need to make sure that God is the one who is getting all the glory for our faith while we try to be a light to others.  When we do this, we will have a reputation that goes before us, just like many students do in a small school, that will bring glory to God.

-Kaitlyn Hamilton

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

  1. Who do you know who is known for a growing faith and love and perseverance in the midst of trials and persecution? Thank God for them. And, like Paul, you can also tell them that you thank God for them.
  2. What do you think your fellow employees or classmates or teachers at church or school would say about you? What do you think your neighbors would say about you? What do you think the cashier would say about you? Are they right? How did you get this reputation?
  3. What is Paul’s main point in the rest of 2 Thessalonians (verses 5-12)?
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