I must differ with you about work being low down. No honest work is that. It is idleness that is low down.”
–Zane Grey (The Call of the Canyon)
“Man goes out to his work and to his labor until the evening.”
–Psalm 104:23 (NKJV)
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T. S. Eliot wrote, “humans cannot bear very much reality.” They would rather live in a world of fantasy, dreams–a land of wokeness and illusion. Truth for them is hard to handle so they make up their own truth to suit their needs or agenda. There is soft diplomacy, political correctness in all of its foolishness, the deconstruction of terms (i.e., sin, dead). People try to cover up their blemishes wanting that perfect face or body. Ah, but truth cannot be hidden.
Ecclesiastes 10 reminds us of our folly. Two things that have always frustrated me in my work, my career, my life is the folly of mediocrity and incompetence. In our society today we cannot get away from incompetence or the mediocre worker. Look with me at verses 6-11 of chapter 10.
6 — Folly is set in great dignity, while the rich sit in a lowly place.
7 — I have seen servants on horses, while princes walk on the ground like servants.
8 — He who digs a pit will fall into it, and whoever breaks through a wall will be bitten by a serpent.
9 — He who quarries stones may be hurt by them, and he who splits wood may be endangered by it.
10 — If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength; but wisdom brings success.
11 — A serpent may bite when it is not charmed; the babbler is no different. (NKJV)
A fool is a person who will not accept the truth. Look for a moment at the work place. Who is the Boss? How do you treat him? Do you grumble at the work that you are given? Hmmm, perhaps we should move this into the area of life–who is the “Boss” of your life? Do you grumble when He puts a task before you?
Work while you have the opportunity. Gone is the Puritan Work Ethic, the idea that whatever you do you should do to the best of your ability for it is unto the Lord that you work. He has given you the ability, the strength, and the knowledge to get through this life. More and more I see the Peter Principle put into action–the placing of the incompetent in places of authority. And that is true of us who elect our political officials. Look at the incompetence.
For a moment look at the situation presented in the verses above, then at the danger. Throughout life you will find that there are at times inevitable risks, but there is also the fact of inexcusable stupidity. Look at the situation of digging a pit–the danger is that you may fall into it. When you break through a wall do you consider what is on the other side? It may be a snake. The one who quarries stones always faces the danger of being hurt by falling stones. Oh my, have I seen the next one put into action on more than one occasion; the person who splits logs incompetently is endangering himself and maybe others nearby. When you chop wood, make sure the blade is sharp for it makes the work go easier, but the incompetent overexerts himself, while the mediocre person will not take the time to sharpen the ax and will only cut part of the wood–enough for today, but not for tomorrow.
Wisdom thinks ahead. It seeks and knows the truth then acts upon it. The wise man seeks out the Lord, while the fool says that God does not exist. The wise realizes that he needs a Savior, and that eternal looms closer every day. The fool, the incompetent, doesn’t see the end. He lives for himself for the day only. So, I would say, “Incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding.” (Proverbs 2:2, NKJV)
–Psalm 104:23 (NKJV)
—————————–
T. S. Eliot wrote, “humans cannot bear very much reality.” They would rather live in a world of fantasy, dreams–a land of wokeness and illusion. Truth for them is hard to handle so they make up their own truth to suit their needs or agenda. There is soft diplomacy, political correctness in all of its foolishness, the deconstruction of terms (i.e., sin, dead). People try to cover up their blemishes wanting that perfect face or body. Ah, but truth cannot be hidden.
Ecclesiastes 10 reminds us of our folly. Two things that have always frustrated me in my work, my career, my life is the folly of mediocrity and incompetence. In our society today we cannot get away from incompetence or the mediocre worker. Look with me at verses 6-11 of chapter 10.
6 — Folly is set in great dignity, while the rich sit in a lowly place.
7 — I have seen servants on horses, while princes walk on the ground like servants.
8 — He who digs a pit will fall into it, and whoever breaks through a wall will be bitten by a serpent.
9 — He who quarries stones may be hurt by them, and he who splits wood may be endangered by it.
10 — If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength; but wisdom brings success.
11 — A serpent may bite when it is not charmed; the babbler is no different. (NKJV)
A fool is a person who will not accept the truth. Look for a moment at the work place. Who is the Boss? How do you treat him? Do you grumble at the work that you are given? Hmmm, perhaps we should move this into the area of life–who is the “Boss” of your life? Do you grumble when He puts a task before you?
Work while you have the opportunity. Gone is the Puritan Work Ethic, the idea that whatever you do you should do to the best of your ability for it is unto the Lord that you work. He has given you the ability, the strength, and the knowledge to get through this life. More and more I see the Peter Principle put into action–the placing of the incompetent in places of authority. And that is true of us who elect our political officials. Look at the incompetence.
For a moment look at the situation presented in the verses above, then at the danger. Throughout life you will find that there are at times inevitable risks, but there is also the fact of inexcusable stupidity. Look at the situation of digging a pit–the danger is that you may fall into it. When you break through a wall do you consider what is on the other side? It may be a snake. The one who quarries stones always faces the danger of being hurt by falling stones. Oh my, have I seen the next one put into action on more than one occasion; the person who splits logs incompetently is endangering himself and maybe others nearby. When you chop wood, make sure the blade is sharp for it makes the work go easier, but the incompetent overexerts himself, while the mediocre person will not take the time to sharpen the ax and will only cut part of the wood–enough for today, but not for tomorrow.
Wisdom thinks ahead. It seeks and knows the truth then acts upon it. The wise man seeks out the Lord, while the fool says that God does not exist. The wise realizes that he needs a Savior, and that eternal looms closer every day. The fool, the incompetent, doesn’t see the end. He lives for himself for the day only. So, I would say, “Incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding.” (Proverbs 2:2, NKJV)