A Little Folly

by Chadwick Brewer

“Dead flies make the perfumer's ointment give off a stench; so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor” (Ecclesiastes 10:1).

When I was a child, I was told the parable of the ship’s mast. The main mast in a ship might take well over a hundred years to grow to the right size. After it is felled, it takes hundreds of man-hours to shape it, carve it, and treat it to get ready to be a mast. After all that time and work, it would only take a man with a saw a few minutes to chop it down and ruin the whole thing.

So it is with us. We spend years and decades building our name, reputation, and character, but it only takes a moment’s folly to tear everything down. In a perfume, all of the good scents are over powered and soured by a little rot. So too, our good deeds and wisdom are overshadowed by a little foolishness.

When you choose your actions, choose them carefully. A good name is better than great riches because it merits trust, respect, and love. It takes a lifetime to earn those things. Don’t throw away all your labor, toil, and hard work for a few moments’ folly. Think before you act or speak.