PARALYSIS BY ANALYSIS

September 7, 2009

PARALYSIS BY ANALYSIS

Ecclesiastes 11

Howard Goldthwaite

Central Truth

There's such a thing as being too cautious. At some point you have to take action, and with all action there comes a bit of risk.

He who watches the wind will not sow,
and he who observes the clouds will not reap.
(Ecclesiastes 11:4)

Cast Your Bread upon the Waters

1 Cast your bread upon the waters,
    for you will find it after many days.
2 Give a portion to seven, or even to eight,
    for you know not what disaster may happen on earth.
3 If the clouds are full of rain,
    they empty themselves on the earth,
and if a tree falls to the south or to the north,
    in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.
4 He who observes the wind will not sow,
    and he who regards the clouds will not reap.

5 As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb^{1

11:5
Some Hebrew manuscripts, Targum; most Hebrew manuscripts As you do not know the way of the wind, or how the bones grow in the womb} of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.

6 In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good.

7 Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun.

8 So if a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is vanity.^{2

11:8
The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a vapor or mere breath; also verse 10 (see note on 1:2)}

9 Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.

10 Remove vexation from your heart, and put away pain^{3

11:10
Or evil} from your body, for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.

Footnotes

[1] 11:5 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Targum; most Hebrew manuscripts As you do not know the way of the wind, or how the bones grow in the womb
[2] 11:8 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath”; also verse 10 (see note on 1:2)
[3] 11:10 Or evil

Solomon tells us one thing is certain in life: uncertainty. In verse two of chapter 11, he told us that we should diversify our assets for the same reason: uncertainty.

Life is full of twists and turns. Ever look out the window of an airplane and notice the difference between how God makes a river and how man makes a river? We build canals that go straight from point A to point B. When God makes a river, it twists, turns, and meanders all around before reaching its destination. But in the process, it waters more land.

I keep wanting to reach my goals by going straight from point A to point B. But God has a way of placing all kinds of twists and turns between those two points. I remember a great headline from an ad for a sports car: “Happiness isn’t just around the corner. Happiness is the corner.” Christians must learn to embrace uncertainties. (They’re not going away anyway, so we might as well get used to them.) Uncertainties are where we grow closer to God! When it comes to the future, what a huge comfort it is knowing that we don’t have to know! We can trust our future to God. Uncertainty is God’s way of keeping our eyes on Him so that we walk by faith, not by sight.

Granted, I want those number-crunching, Tums-chomping hedge fund managers to do their homework, and do everything possible to keep my 401K from evaporating. But my savings could disappear, and if it does—that’s life. God is in control.

For so many decisions in life, if we wait for the perfect time, we’ll never do it. We will always have a reason why something isn’t the perfect time. And not to decide is to decide.

Do something courageous today. Defy conventional logic. Go with your gut. Check the depth of the creek with both feet at once. Grit your teeth. Stop waving your wet finger in the breeze, and go for it.

Of the two kinds of people in this world—worriers and warriors—which are you?

1. Do you find it hard making decisions?  Yes  No (If you can't decide, the answer is "yes".)

2. Of course, it's always wise to consider the pros and cons of your decisions, but have you ever analyzed yourself into paralysis?

3. What are the things you worry most about, and how do they affect you physically?

4. How long has it been since you've done something courageous, daring, or out of your comfort zone—what everyone else wishes they had the courage to do?