What could possibly go wrong?

Every day we’re asking four questions about part of the Bible. Today Helen Leckie answers:

What did I like about today’s passage?

This passage starts strong ‘as dead flies give perfume a bad smell, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honour’(10:1) – such an evocative image, and fits well with the start of Tuesday’s passage ‘A good name is better than fine perfume’ (7:1). We’ve seen public figures undo good work with stupid decisions, and I, like a lot of other people know people in our personal lives whose foolish moments have left a bad smell over the perfume of their achievements. We all make bad decisions from time to time – we need God’s advice, and the advice of people we trust who are free to challenge us to help us make the right choices.

A theme that the teacher comes back to that is prominent in this last passage is about aging, and enjoying what you have while you are young, because later on you may not have capacity to enjoy it. This is a rather grim view of old age – I know a lot of older people who seem to get great enjoyment out of life. However perhaps sometimes this is because life has shown them what they took for granted when they were young – as older relatives have lost sight or hearing or mobility I realise how much I depend on these abilities. As I get older, adding poor close up vision to my short sight and astigmatism is likely to be only the first of many age-related limitations I face.

What did it show me about Father God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit?

It’s interesting that the Teacher links remembering our Creator to enjoying our youth. I guess this fits in with developing wisdom while we are young, and also with being able to delight in God’s creation while we have the senses to do this. Perhaps it’s related to not feeling like we need our Creator when we feel we can do things in our own strength, but giving God the glory he deserves before we get to the stage that we need to ask him for health.

The passage ends with the stark reminder that God will judge everyone’s deeds, good and bad. I am thankful that although God sees all my good and bad deeds, Jesus has paid the penalty for me, and I am reflecting on whether it will be a surprise to the Teacher to learn this when he is reunited with God and learns that to God, nothing is meaningless!

What am I going to do differently as a result?

It’s my birthday soon, and I’m really looking forward to going on a walk with my family to celebrate – we are not big on walking for fun in our household, but I feel like it is time we take joy in creation and the bodies God gave us (and in Tier 3 we can’t go out to eat!).

Regarding the dead flies in the perfume, and being inspired by the accountability groups of three that some people in Severn are doing, I feel like it’s time I became part of one to keep those flies away!

Who am I going to share this with?

My family.