Do not take to heart....

*21*Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. *22*Your heart knows that many times you yourself have cursed others.
Ecclesiastes 7:21–22.

How do you do this? How do you stop taking things to heart? How do you ignore the curses?
If anyone has any answers I’d love to know!

I get the truth of what these verses are saying - that we all, at times, have negative thoughts about others, even those we love most, it doesn’t mean we hate them or wish them harm, it usually means that we are aggravated by something. Therefore we should not have an overwhelmingly negative emotional response when others speak badly about us because they probably have some hidden hurt expressed by what they are communicating, just like we do. So we should, ‘not take to heart all the things that people say’.
I understand that, but it is very difficult to do isn’t it?!

Only this week something happened where I was accused of something, something completely untrue, and although I knew my own innocence, it rocked me. I spent a whole day feeling distressed, worried and concerned. A lot of scenarios snowballing through my head if this accusation was believed. I took to heart the words of someone else, the ‘curse’ of someone who wasn’t telling the truth, I took on an emotional response that was unwarranted and unnecessary as I knew the facts of the situation.
So, why did I take it to heart? I overanalysed, I wondered; why would someone want to falsely accuse me? Why would someone wish to hurt me? damage my reputation?
I forgot to ask - what is going on in their life that has less to this response. I forgot not to take it to heart. Instead I had a tearful, distressed response to this situation. This was probably understandable, but it was unnecessary. I failed to put this verse into action. Even though I probably even read it on that very morning! How easily we can forget the truth!
what I have been reading this week disappeared from my mind, it’s like I understand with my head that I shouldn’t be upset, but my heart is slower to catch on. It seems easy to acknowledge, but harder to put into practice. Maybe that’s why reading the Bible is always relevant no matter how many times we read it - it takes a while for the truth to sink in and be evident in our lives. We need reminding of the truth. Constantly. I need this verse to be replayed in my mind over and again as I do take offence, I do feel scared, worried and annoyed by others’ words, but Solomon in his great wisdom invites us not to, ’take to heart all the things that people say’. Imagine a life free of that concern - wouldn’t that be amazing?! To not be overcome by hurt, offence or resentment by others words, to not be stuck under the power of negativity that can be spoken over us.

Let us keep remembering the truth - The wisdom expressed by these verses. Let us begin the path to freedom from this anxiety, freedom from the desire to please everyone or be beholden to the words spoken over us. Let us guard our minds with the truth of the Word.

‘Do not take to heart all the things that people say’