So far, Solomon looked at life and came to the conclusion that life under the sun — that is, outside of a Heavenly relationship with God — is meaningless. Here we have some more tidbits of wisdom. Every decision we make in life — no matter how minor — requires wisdom. We gain wisdom by following God, by diligently reading His Word — the Bible — daily! We fail when we keep making the same foolish mistakes over and over again expecting different results. That, my friend, is the definition of insanity. Let’s dig in….
Ecclesiastes 10
As dead flies cause even a bottle of perfume to stink,
so a little foolishness spoils great wisdom and honor.2 A wise person chooses the right road;
a fool takes the wrong one.3 You can identify fools
just by the way they walk down the street!4 If your boss is angry at you, don’t quit!
A quiet spirit can overcome even great mistakes.
The Ironies of Life
5 There is another evil I have seen under the sun. Kings and rulers make a grave mistake 6 when they give great authority to foolish people and low positions to people of proven worth. 7 I have even seen servants riding horseback like princes—and princes walking like servants!
8 When you dig a well,
you might fall in.
When you demolish an old wall,
you could be bitten by a snake.
9 When you work in a quarry,
stones might fall and crush you.
When you chop wood,
there is danger with each stroke of your ax.10 Using a dull ax requires great strength,
so sharpen the blade.
That’s the value of wisdom;
it helps you succeed.11 If a snake bites before you charm it,
what’s the use of being a snake charmer?12 Wise words bring approval,
but fools are destroyed by their own words.13 Fools base their thoughts on foolish assumptions,
so their conclusions will be wicked madness;
14 they chatter on and on.No one really knows what is going to happen;
no one can predict the future.15 Fools are so exhausted by a little work
that they can’t even find their way home.16 What sorrow for the land ruled by a servant (or a child),
the land whose leaders feast in the morning.
17 Happy is the land whose king is a noble leader
and whose leaders feast at the proper time
to gain strength for their work, not to get drunk.18 Laziness leads to a sagging roof;
idleness leads to a leaky house.19 A party gives laughter,
wine gives happiness,
and money gives everything!20 Never make light of the king, even in your thoughts.
Ecclesiastes 10 NLT
And don’t make fun of the powerful, even in your own bedroom.
For a little bird might deliver your message
and tell them what you said.
Points to Ponder
- One tiny, foolish mistake can ruin a whole life. A reputation can be wrecked in seconds. Think before you tweet!
- You’re only as good as your next sin. Wouldn’t it be nice to be forgiven for ALL your sins — past, present AND future?
- Choose the right road — there are two… the narrow one that leads to Heaven or the wide one that leads to hell. Where you spend eternity is your choice! Make it a wise one!
- I’ve quit jobs because the boss wanted me to lie to people or they were representing something that was against my morals and values. Not all bosses are wise. If you have a tough situation at work, pray about it. Ask God for direction. He’ll provide.
Giving Great Authority to Foolish People
Man oh, man, could I let loose on this topic, but I won’t. I’ll just give you some more things to think about….
- When you hire or appoint someone, don’t choose them because of their gender or ethnicity. Pick someone because they are qualified for the position. It’s simple logic. If a major league baseball team’s best lefty hitter gets injured, they call up the best lefty hitter from the minor league team. They wouldn’t call up a lefty pitcher — pitchers are usually not good hitters. They’re good pitchers. That’s common sense. It seems people have lost all logic and common sense.
- The same goes for when you’re picking a church. You don’t go to a church …
- because it’s the closest one
- for entertainment
- because it’s the “hot” church and you want to be “seen” with the right crowd
- because it was your parent’s church or denomination
- No! The church you attend should…
- teach the true Gospel of Jesus Christ’s salvation and not water it down
- not be afraid of Bible Prophecy
- lead you in meaningful worship
- offer fellowship and small groups to get connected and go deeper into the Bible.
- Lord, I pray that you will raise up good, strong, Bible-believing, Christian leaders to run and win for ALL government offices, Amen.
Life is Unpredictable, there is Risk in EVERYTHING
- Accidents happen. Be wise and be careful.
- Good intentions don’t shelter you from bad experiences. Learn from them.
- When a person takes a leadership position or office, they either grow or swell. It depends on the content of their heart. In other words, they grow in wisdom or swell with pride and vanity. If they’re in it to honestly help people, then they’ll grow. If they’re in it for themselves, then they’ll fall. Solomon wrote, “Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18 NLT
- Verse 20 is where we get the phrase, “A little birdie told me”. In other words, don’t gossip or bad-mouth anyone. Keep your opinions to yourself. Think before you tweet!
- You can’t solve problems by throwing money at them. Without wisdom, problems just get worse.
It’s Time to Look in the Mirror
Who are you? The fool or the wise person. We should all strive to be wise and make wise decisions. The Good News is that we have a God who wants to see you succeed. I can picture God shaking His head whenever we make foolish mistakes — and don’t learn from them!
For the longest time, I had a problem with not paying bills on time. The late and overdraft fees were really cutting into my bank account. I could save SO MUCH, if I just paid my bills on time! That took some self-analysis and prayer. I asked God to help me to see where I’m going wrong. I asked forgiveness because I was not a good steward of the money He provided. It took a few months of being very cautious of my spending and being aware of when bills were due. Finally, I’m ahead of my bills and have been able to put money in a savings account.
Jesus told us…
38 If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. 39 If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.
Matthew 22:38-39 NLT
The life you cling to is your old, sinful life. That’s the life that Jesus wants you to give up. In return He gives you a new life! However, every day, Satan will tempt you to go back to your old life. That’s just the way the devil works. You must remember that you gave that life away to Jesus and He carried it away on the cross forever.
What are you waiting for?
Believe. Repent. Be Baptized. Receive the Holy Spirit.
- Believe — have Faith — that Jesus is the Christ and He died taking your sins away forever and that He rose from the dead 3 days later.
- Repent of your sins — stop sinning! Do a complete 180-degree turn in your life and surrender your life to Him. When you ask Jesus to forgive you He will. ALL your sins will be wiped clean — past, present, and future! And All means ALL!
- Be Baptized by water baptism — show the world and yourself that you have died to your old life and are born again in Christ.
- Receive the gift of Holy Spirit in your heart.
