SNAKE CHARMER

In Ecclesiastes, the king Solomon is giving out wisdom on life. He says, "If a snake bites before it's charmed, there is no profit for the charmer."
-Ecc 10:11

What's in the world does this mean? I think we would all agree that a snake bitten charmer is a dead charmer and that's a bad thing right? The obvious aside, I think what Solomon is getting at here is the idea that talk is cheap. You and I can say we're gonna do something and we can have the best intentions in the world to do that thing but unless it actually happens, what we say doesn't matter. Like the phrase "put your money where your mouth is" alludes to, following through on one's intentions is a big and risky commitment.

If you had to name your three biggest goals in life, what would they be? Here are mine:

1. Share the love and wonder of God with other people through whatever platform God gives me.
2. Be an amazing husband to my wife and love her always in an incredible way.
3. Raise kids that love God and other people.

All things considered, nothing else in life matters more to me than these three things. What are your goals like? Are they God honoring goals? And maybe the bigger question, what are you doing to make those goals a reality? Being a godly person, loving husband, or great parent doesn't just happen overnight because you get out bed one morning and it finally clicks. A person can have great plans to be more disciplined in a part of their life, they can know how and even be on the verge of doing it, but until planing turns into action, they are no better a snake charmer than the guy who walks up and intentionally gets bit. In Matthew 12:50 Jesus says, "Whoever does the will of my father is part of my family." Notice he doesn't say "whoever knows the will of the father" or "thinks about the will of the father," but whoever does the will of the father. A few chapters earlier in Matthew 7:21 Jesus tells his disciples, that those "who do the will of the father" will be the ones to enter God's kingdom. I think lots of us know things we should be doing differently in life and ways that God is asking us to grow, but few are really doing it. What's holding you back?

In verses 7-9, just before Solomon talks about charming snakes, he reminds us why there is no better time to start acting on our goals and on who God wants us to be than right now.

"Whoever digs a pit may fall into it; whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake. Whoever quarries stones may be injured by them; who ever splits logs may be entangled by them." Ecclesiastes 10:7-9

What Solomon's saying is that unexpected things happen to unsuspecting people just going about their business all the time. Death, disease and hardship give no regard to age, health, diet, or socioeconomic status. Nice, healthy, young, and successful people get sick out of the blue and die everyday. The reality of life is that you and I don't know what tomorrow may bring which gives us all the more reason to make the most of today. Don't wait to charm your snakes. There is certainly some risk, effort and commitment involved in becoming a godly man, women, parent, husband, wife, brother, sister or friend, but there is no greater way to live.