"As dead flies give perfume a bad smell, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor." Ecc 10:1
Came across this verse in my morning reflection. Small things can have big impact in one's life.
Perfume require a lot of hard work to make. It not enough to pour whole bunch of liquids together into a blender and wahlah - perfume. (thats juice) Perfume requires a lot of delicate preparation, study and understanding what works and what doesn't. Utimately, perfume are about making someone or a place more pleasant.
Dead flies mixed with perfume give off a foul smell. What is mean for good can quickly turn quite the opposite. A little yeast can raise the dough. A little fly can ruin everything. Makes smells smelly.
Foolishness can do that. It occurs to me that people are more forgiving towards a fool who behaves foolishly than someone who is perceived as wise and does 1 foolish act. It is because as the verse implies, we honor wise people. We hold them in esteem. Whereas when it comes to a person who consistently makes stupid mistakes, we go, 'thats just him. Expected one."
But when someone we perceives as wise does something foolish, we go, 'he should know better.'
As a leader, this is a sobering verse. It reminds me that trust and credibility built over many years can be lost in an instant of foolishness. Think Bill Clinton. Small stains can make big scandals. What was once life-giving can become a foul stumbling block
It reminds me to always keep a fly swatter over my heart and keep my conscience pure even against the smallest of sin.
