Work Smarter, Not Harder
Ecclesiastes 10:10
Some of you know that my brother is a plumber.
Early in his career, he would jump into a situation waste deep into sewage to fix a leak or solve a particular problem.
His employer at the time appreciated his hustle, but gave him this very great piece of advice: “Work smarter, not harder.”
If you stop, think, and assess the situation a little more carefully, you might be able to solve it much easier than before.
Indeed, he learned from that and has become an even better plumber as a result.
But did you know that that piece of advice is biblical? (Eccl. 10:10).
“If the ax is dull …”
Have you ever used a dull ax before?
Maybe not, but how many of you have ever used a dinner knife to cut a steak?
It’s tough, isn’t it? If you’re at a restaurant and they forget to give you a steak knife, you’ll ask for one, but before it comes, you use your dinner knife, and it takes so much effort to get the job done.
You “must use more strength.”
But a wiser man would either wait for the steak knife to come or, if you’re at home, just get a sharper knife (or sharpen the one you have).
That’s a mark of wisdom which brings success.
When we do the work of the church, it’s always better to work smarter, not harder.
There are so many areas where we do this or might be able to do this.
The great thing about working smarter is you’ll be able to work more because you won’t be so tired after the first job.
It takes wisdom to stop and consider what the best course of action is to carry it out.
For instance, when talking to someone about the gospel, we could try having a debate with them, but that would lead to a more adversarial approach, and you’re much less likely to convert the individual. It will take a LOT of effort on your part, but wind up being fruitless in the end.
Instead, try asking questions: “What do you mean by that?” “How did you come to that conclusion?”
And when they start asking questions: “That’s a very good question. Why don’t we have a Bible study about it?”
And of course, we have these Bible studies that will help you to convert people. Trust me, it is far more effective than having debates with people.
Just as when my brother was younger and tried brute force over brains, I, too, tried the spiritual equivalent in my younger days.
Debating over religion is like trying to chop wood with a dull ax or cut a steak with a dinner knife. You might get the desired result, but it will take so much effort and probably won’t work in the end anyway.
As Solomon also wrote: “He who wins souls is wise” (Prov. 11:30).
The wiser soul-winner is able to work longer because he’s not working harder, but smarter.
What is that gospel we are talking about?