The Danger of a Little Folly
“Dead flies make the perfumer’s ointment give off a stench; so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor. A wise man’s heart inclines him to the right, but a fool’s heart to the left. Even when the fool walks on the road, he lacks sense, and he says to everyone that he is a fool.” ~Ecclesiastes 10:1–3
This passage should get our attention, for we all have more than a little folly in our hearts. The key is to stop it from coming out of our mouths and into our lives. I have heard it said many times that the wise man and the fool are alike in that for every four wise thoughts they both have at least six foolish thoughts. The difference is that the wise man only lets you hear the four jewels, whereas the fool lets loose with all ten. Solomon warns against this: a little folly can greatly damage the testimony of even the wisest of men and women.
Stopping foolish behavior is easier said than done, for, as Solomon says, it is very difficult to hide who and what we really are. It’s in the little things–things as little as walking down a road, choosing to go one way than another, words we let loose and words we keep in–that we proclaim to all with eyes to see whether we are gripped by wisdom or folly.
What “little” mistakes commonly spoil the wisdom of a wise man’s heart?
Careless Thoughts: Wisdom begins in the inner sanctum of the soul. If we want to be wise men, we must have wise hearts and minds. Listen to yourself think. What kind of thoughts grip your mind? Does your mind gravitate towards negative, grumbling, critical, and unbelieving thoughts? Is your mouth too full with grumbling words of complaint? If we are to win the battle with our tongues, we must first win the battle in our hearts. We must root out a discontented, grumbling heart and replace it with a heart of faith, hope, and joy. How are we to do this? By taking everything back to the knowledge of Christ and His vast promises of grace. The Christian never has a right to grumble or complain. Thanksgiving, contentment, and joy rather befit the child of God.
Careless Words: They tell me that when it came to the tongue, Queen Elizabeth II had two distinct pieces of advice for her children. The first refers first to private speech: Never complain, never explain, never make excuses. It amazes me how often complaining words slip out of my mouth, mostly about things over which I have no control: the weather, the traffic, the behavior of other people. Such words drain energy from and place a burden upon all who hear. Our words should be joy-giving, soul-strengthening, and burden-lifting. The second royal counsel for her offspring refers to a more public forum, when they are asked to give an opinion. In such moments, the queen said we should ask three questions: Does it need saying? Does it need saying now? Does it need saying by me? I’ve thought over those words on more than one occasion this week representing you at Synod.
Careless Deeds: A top violinist was once asked the secret for her remarkable playing. Her answer was as simple as it was direct: “Planned neglect. You can’t focus on one thing without choosing not to focus on other things. ” When I heard that, it occurred to me that folly grows by carelessly going in the opposite direction: unplanned focus. In everything, the fool begins with the moment and not the end in mind; he seeks pleasure and not principle; he follows the path of least resistance not the path of duty.
In conclusion, brethren, we will not become wise by accident. It's a product of diligent learning and sustained reflection, achieved by those who study the scriptures with a receptive heart. As the psalmist stated, "The Law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple" (Psalm 19:7). The Bible really is a unique book, possessing the power to transform folly into wisdom if we will only take it to heart.