What's you work ethic?

He who digs a pit will fall into it, 
and a serpent will bite him who breaks through a wall. 
*9* He who quarries stones is hurt by them, 
and he who splits logs is endangered by them. 
*10* If the iron is blunt, and one does not sharpen the edge, 
he must use more strength, 
but wisdom helps one to succeed. 
*11* If the serpent bites before it is charmed, 
there is no advantage to the charmer. 

Ecclesiastes 10:8–11.

This Chapter of Ecclesiastes reads like a set of proverbs, so I think it’s important not to whizz through them but to stop and consider what is each verse really saying. It’s easy to skim over and get the gist of the message, but when we slow down and consider we understand and appreciate more. So, lets look at each verse individually;

V8; ‘He who digs a pit will fall into it, 
and a serpent will bite him who breaks through a wall.’
Why would you dig a pit? Usually because you’re laying a trap, trying to ensnare someone or something.
Why would you break through a wall? It could be because you're feeling destructive, annoyed or even as an act of vengeance, these are times when we usually like to break things!
So, what can we learn from this verse is that acting out of anger, plotting vengeance or revenge is only going to hurt ourselves in the end. Don’t try to trick people, trap them or hurt them because it will turn about that you will be exposed and punished. Trying to tear down others’ will lead to some kind of downfall for yourself.

V9; ‘He who quarries stones is hurt by them, 
and he who splits logs is endangered by them.‘
Basically, no matter what job you do, there’s danger! The reality is that there are risks all around us, living life can be a bit dangerous, but do you think the miner worries everyday if he’s cut by a stone? Or the lumberjack worries about the dangers of an axe? A policeman or fireman doesn’t go into work every shift consumed by their own mortality and fragility - they get on with it. Whatever job you do, whether it carries physical or relational risk, or even financial and temporal risk, life and work can be risky, but don’t spend your life worried about the ‘what ifs’. Keep on going, the more you practice the scary stuff, the less it’ll scare you.

V10; ‘If the iron is blunt, and one does not sharpen the edge, 
he must use more strength, 
but wisdom helps one to succeed.‘
I think this leads nicely on from the previous verse, considering splitting logs with an axe - if the blade is blunt, it is not going to be easy to use. A good lumberjack doesn't turn up to work with a blunt axe - he knows the work will be harder and it's just not sensible.
Therefore, when getting ready to work ensure the tools of your trade are ready for the work they need to do. Prepare, get ready, if you don't it’s going to take a lot more out of you than it needs to. The idle or foolish person is not ready, their equipment is inefficient so they can’t work properly. The wise prepare. There may be physical tools we need to look after, or it could be preparing the body and mind. If we purposefully do not look after our bodies, rest well, hydrate, then are you even ready? Is your mind sharpened or blunt? It takes a lot more effort to use a blunt tool than a sharpened one. So, whatever your hand finds to do, whatever your workload looks like, get prepared, be ready, be sharp!

V11; ‘If the serpent bites before it is charmed, 
there is no advantage to the charmer.’
Why would a snake do that? It seems to me that a snake would do that if it is not handled right. A charmers job is to ensure that the snake is restful and of no harm to anyone, the charmer has confidence in their capability but if they are not quick enough off the mark, they’ll get hurt.  It’s the same for us in whatever job we do. We shouldn’t be over-confident in our ability, we should take each day seriously, be alert, consistent and careful. Maybe the charmer turned up for late that day, maybe they were hungover or just could not be bothered to do what is necessary. Maybe they were lazy, despondent, annoyed or even a bit cocky about their abilities. This lax attitude clearly does not work out well, if you not working to your full potential it effects you and you could get bitten, don't be lazy or over-confident - you could get harmed.

It seems that these verses are really speaking about our work ethic. so, whatever job you do, take it seriously. Whether you think you get paid enough or not should not effect the effort you put into each day. There are no excuses to be lazy, unprepared, slow, inefficient or vengeful. In the end, the main person this will effect is yourself - you can get hurt. If you have slipped into bad habits, if your focus has not been on the job, if you’re frequently late, trying to trick others out, whose reputation is on the line? Who is responsible for the way they handle their workload, colleagues and clients? That’s right - you are! So, don’t let yourself down, don’t be caught out by unsharpened tools, or by the power of anger and resentment in your life.

Be wise
Be sharp
Be ready..