The Cost of Folly
Folly is defined as “the lack of good sense or foolishness.” Understandably, God’s word has some things to teach about folly because when we make poor choices we experience regrets and end up in places we don’t really want to be.
To experience everything God wants us to, God instructs us to avoid folly. In Ecclesiastes 10, the Bible gives an illustration of what happens when we make poor choices: “As dead flies give perfume a bad smell, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor” (Ecclesiastes 10:1, NIV). The word picture teaches that making a few or sometimes even just one wrong choice can overcome many right things in our lives. The good smelling perfume that comes through making right choices is soured by a few flies of wrong choices.
Isn’t it amazing how one wrong choice can mess up a life? When we hear the name “Richard Nixon,” whatever good Richard Nixon accomplished through his many years of political service is overshadowed by the one choice of Watergate and the cover up. “Mark McGwire” brings thoughts of steroids rather than the many years of home run hitting baseball. Entire public lives come crashing down because of a few bad choices.
Though rarely making the headlines, the impact of poor choices happens in the private sector as well. Examples include the husband who through some poor choices sets his marriage up for failure by opening himself up to the temptation of being unfaithful to his wife, the teenager who starts down a path of addiction by trying something “just once” and the friend who devastates a lifelong friendship by spreading information that was intended to remain private. Poor choices bring destruction and heartbreak to relationships.
Rather than walking the road of folly through making wrong decisions, the Teacher of Ecclesiastes encourages us to appreciate wisdom. When we embrace God’s wisdom in our lives, we can experience the good that God has for us. “Wisdom is better than strength” (Ecclesiastes 9:16, NIV). Whereas the cost of folly is regrets, the blessing of wisdom brings great results. We win the battles of life with wisdom. We overpower evil with God’s wisdom. Wisdom leads us to wonderful places in our lives.
If we need to embrace wisdom rather than folly, how can we do that? First, ask God for wisdom. James 1:5 tells us to ask God for the wisdom that we need and He will give it to us. When you need wisdom, ask God for it. Second, seek wisdom. Pursue it with everything that you have. Proverbs 4:7 tells us to strive for wisdom and understanding, even if it costs everything we have. Third, apply wisdom. James 1:22 says to not be merely hearing of word, but to be doing the word.
If we will ask for, seek, and apply wisdom, we will avoid the folly that leads to destruction. The cost of folly is too high a price to pay.