Today we come to part 3 in our current devotional series, “Don’t Be Stupid.” Why? Because dumb mistakes can be costly. A little wisdom goes a long way in keeping us out of trouble.
That’s why we’re taking a few days to glean some wise counsel from Ecclesiastes 10. The chapter begins with an observation:
Dead flies make the perfumer’s ointment give off a stench; so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor. (Eccl. 10:1)
Here we see a key principle loaded with practical implications:
Because even a little folly stinks, steer clear of stupidity.
From this central truth spring five practical words of counsel which fill the rest of the chapter. In part one and part two of this series, we considered the first few tips:
Remain calm in the face of foolish anger (vv. 4-9).
Do the right thing at the right time (vv. 10-11).
Choose your words carefully (vv. 12-14).
Today we want to consider the last two pearls of wisdom in this chapter.
4. Don’t waste your energy on unproductive activity.
“The toil of a fool wearies him, for he does not know the way to the city” (Eccl. 10:10). His efforts are fruitless because he has no sense of direction.
There are countless people like this in business corporations, educational institutions, non-profit organizations, and government agencies. Their days are filled with fruitless activity. They fritter away their time on social media, video games, and idle conversation.
In his commentary on Ecclesiastes, Philip Graham Ryken asserts,
Merely playing at work wearies the soul, because deep down we know that we ought to be more productive. The feelings of guilt that we have as a result are exhausting (especially when we realize that we still have a lot of work to do that we should have done already).
Does this describe you? Is this how you feel after a typical workday? Do you come home with a headache, feeling stressed and discouraged? Is it because deep down inside you know that you wasted your time and did not channel your energy effectively?
It’s hard to believe that a man could wander around and miss a city. A small town, perhaps. But a major metropolis? Yet that’s the picture of a person who makes things needlessly difficult for himself because of his stupidity.
His lack of progress comes at a price. Things around him begin to fall apart, as indicated by his dilapidated house described in Ecclesiastes 10:18: “Through sloth the roof sinks in, and through indolence the house leaks.” Proverbs 18:9 says, “Whoever is slack in his work is brother to him who destroys.” The two go hand-in-hand.
King Solomon, who understood the importance of productivity, writes in verses 16-17, “Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child, and your princes feast in the morning! Happy are you, O land, when your king is the son of the nobility, and your princes feast at the proper time, for strength, and not for drunkenness!”
If you are a Christian, you have every reason to be productive! Every task we undertake is to be done for the glory of God and will be rewarded. For this reason we are told, “Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord” (Rom. 12:11).
Ecclesiastes 10:19 sums up the earthly benefits of hard work: “Bread is made for laughter, and wine gladdens life, and money answers everything.” Of course this truth must be held in tension with the rest of Scripture. Money has its limitations, and “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils” (1 Tim. 6:10). But money itself is not evil, and it’s a great resource. If we have money, we can buy whatever we need. Bread is a daily necessity. Wine is a luxury. But if we have money, we can buy both. We can enjoy both the necessities and the niceties of life.
Better yet, we can use our earthly resources to advance God’s kingdom and lay up treasures in heaven (Matt. 6:19-21). That’s the only investment that pays eternal dividends!
So work hard, and live well. Don’t waste your energy on unproductive activity. Use your energy effectively, and enjoy the benefits of giving 100% for God’s glory.
5. Kill sin at its root before it bears fruit.
Ecclesiastes 10 ends with a warning: “Even in your thought, do not curse the king, nor in your bedroom curse the rich, for a bird of the air will carry your voice, or some winged creature tell the matter” (v. 20).
The expression, “A little bird told me,” comes from this verse. Even our most private sins have a way of getting exposed and coming back to bite us. Remember the first of the five practical points Solomon made in this chapter? Remain calm in the face of foolish anger. You may be able to do that when you’re at work or at school or in the kitchen with your mom and dad. But what happens in your bedroom? What do you say or think about that person when you’re all alone? You may think that nobody hears, but a little undetected bird may be listening and make the matter known!
Scripture says, “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Num. 32:23). That’s because whenever we sin, we are never truly alone. The Lord is always present. The more we are aware of his presence, the more alert we will be to sinful thoughts, attitudes, and words.
Now and then I see this little motto hanging on a wall in someone’s home:
If we could only keep this in mind, what a difference it would make! We would soon pray regularly with the psalmist, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer” (Ps. 19:14).
Is Christ the head of your home? Is he Lord of your life? If you are a Christian, the Holy Spirit lives in you (Rom. 8:9). He is resident, but is he president?
A Final Thought
Colossians 2:3 says, “In [Christ] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Since Jesus is the source of all wisdom, you don’t have to be stupid. You can live wisely and well. But you must embrace Jesus as your Lord and Savior. You must saturate your life with his truth, reading your Bible daily and obeying what you read.
We’ve gleaned five practical lessons from Ecclesiastes 10:
Remain calm in the face of foolish anger.
Do the right thing at the right time.
Choose your words carefully.
Don’t waste your energy on unproductive activity.
Kill sin at its root, before it bears fruit.
Obey these principles in the power and wisdom that God provides, and you’ll avoid stupidity. Instead of stinking up your life with a little folly, you’ll be a pleasing aroma to God.