DISCIPLINE OR DISASTER

Ecclesiastes 10:15-17

¹⁵ The work of stupid people gets him so tired that he does not know how to walk into town. ¹⁶ Disaster will come to you, O land, when your king is a novice and when your princes feast first thing in the morning. ¹⁷ Blessed are you, O land, when your king is a son of noble ones and when your princes eat at the appropriate time– for strength, and not as an excuse to get drunk.

experience versus instinct

Solomon learned about wisdom the same way we all do – by experience. One detects a good deal of confession wrapped up in his wisdom observations. He looks back on when he was a fresh prince, a novice king who had been placed in charge long before he had learned the ropes. He remembered how lenient he had been on his own sons – letting them party any time they felt like it, not building any discipline into their lives. He just let them do what their instinct told them. Now he knows that his neglect was their downfall.

You do not have to learn by bad experiences. You can follow in the footsteps of those who have proven themselves good leaders. That is what it means to be a son of noble ones. By imitating good leadership, you bless your land. By following your instinct, you curse it.

LORD, give us the wisdom to imitate the exceptional leaders who have gone before us.