Frustrations

When I was ordained as a pastor, I invited my good friend, Floyd, to preach that night. He began his sermon by reading from Ecclesiastes 10:1, “Dead flies make the perfumer’s ointment give off a stench; so a little folly outweigh wisdom and honor.”

May I admit to you that I wondered where he was going with that? Who starts a sermon talking about dead flies? But then Floyd began to make his point. It’s the little things in life that can cause trouble for us all. And sometimes we allow those little things to hurt us more than they should.

A few months back, while printing a document I had typed, I inadvertently hit the wrong button on my printer. Since that time, every document I have printed has been front and back, and I have not been able to change the settings. If I want to print only on one side of the page, I have to print each page individually. This takes extra time, and I have to admit that it frustrates me.

I am more than sure I could find a twelve-year-old who could fix the situation for me, but to date I have just lived with it. But again, I have to admit this. It drives me crazy that I haven’t been able to fix it. I’ve tried to follow the instructions on the screen to the best of my ability. But still every document prints on two sides.

The truth is that this is not a big deal. It’s a small matter. And yet it is exactly the kind of thing that causes frustration. It gets under your skin. And if you are not careful you will say or do something that you will regret as you think about it.

Floyd was right. Or better, Solomon, the author of Ecclesiastes, was right. Dead flies stink. Little things cause us trouble. And we have to work at it to be wise and to make good decisions.

Are there dead flies in your life? Clean them up. Sweep them out. Don’t let the little things destroy your witness. Be careful. Trust the Lord. He will help you as you do.