Joel M Bradshaw

18Through laziness, the rafters sag; because of idle hands, the house leaks.–Ecclesiastes 10

I am not a carpenter. I am not claiming any contractor, handyman, or professional woodworking status. So my opinion on these verses isn’t informed by any expertise in home repair. But please allow me to take one step back and say what I see.

1. Laziness and idleness communicate that work could have been done, but was instead not done. Some kind of regular upkeep was intentionally skipped. I drive by a mechanic’s shop whose sign always reminds drivers that regular maintenance is cheaper than major repair.
2. Sagging and leaking appear to me as occurring slowly or over time. You hear words like a ‘slow leak’ in your car’s engine for a reason. There was opportunities to address the problem early on that weren’t heeded.

These verses are not communicating that there was a flood or a tornado and that is why the roof is sagging or the house is leaking. They are reminding us that things could have been done and should have been done, but weren’t done.

You are described by the matters you are intentional about. Are you choosing escape rather than diligence? How’s your marriage? Have you had that difficult but necessary conversation? Are you investing in your kids? How’s that project you’ve been putting off? What regular maintenance in your life needs to happen, you’ve been saying so, but has not happened?–JMB