Two Are Better Than One

Tradition and Wisdom
Teaching and Learning:
Superiority of Wisdom

Ecclesiastes 4:4-12

The Message

 ⁴ Then I observed all the work and ambition motivated by envy. What a waste! Smoke. And spitting into the wind.

 ⁵ The fool sits back and takes it easy,
   His sloth is slow suicide.

 ⁶ One handful of peaceful repose
   Is better than two fistfuls of worried work—
   More spitting into the wind.

Why Am I Working Like a Dog?

 ^7-8 I turned my head and saw yet another wisp of smoke on its way to nothingness: a solitary person, completely alone—no children, no family, no friends—yet working obsessively late into the night, compulsively greedy for more and more, never bothering to ask, "Why am I working like a dog, never having any fun? And who cares?" More smoke. A bad business.

 ^9-10 It's better to have a partner than go it alone.
   Share the work, share the wealth.
   And if one falls down, the other helps,
   But if there's no one to help, tough!

 ¹¹ Two in a bed warm each other.
   Alone, you shiver all night.

 ¹² By yourself you're unprotected.
   With a friend you can face the worst.
   Can you round up a third?
   A three-stranded rope isn't easily snapped. .

For Reflection
One would think that to be the envy of others would be a desirable thing, especially if the envy is the result of virtuous living and business dealing.   The paradox is that those who are envied because of the results of their virtuous hard labor are sometimes resented, especially by those who are jealous of their success or those who have been less virtuous and unsuccessful. Such envy and jealousy may lead to misguided objectives.  If one is striving to be like another out of envy his or her motives are ill advised.  Referred to as "smoke" and "spitting into the wind," envy results in empty living.

Working obsessively results in isolation.  One who is isolated from the comforts and reassurance of companions leads a lonely life -- "more smoke."

Life in the hollow of God's hand is a life full of healthy relationships and quiet wisdom that allows one to escape the clamor in the noise of daily living. How do you escape the noise of daily living that is not measured in decibels?

Pray
that envy does not capture you.  Pray that you live a comfortable life, content to live in the way of the Lord.