Resource Library

The terms wise and wisdom appear more than 30 times in the last six chapters of Ecclesiastes, and the concept is interwoven through most of the paragraphs…sometimes in a subtle manner, other times boldly. We’ll see these benefits personified in the life of “the wise man,” portrayed by Solomon in Ecclesiastes 8:1–9. 

A wise leader has a cheerful disposition. And no one says it like Solomon, “Who is like the wise man and who knows the interpretation of a matter? A man’s wisdom illumines him and causes his stern face to beam,” Ecclesiastes 8:1.

We want mysteries to be solved. But God is sovereign—and He has His own answers and purposes. The proper perspective on mysteries allows us to place our trust and hope in God, regardless of whether or not He reveals the answer to us.

How do we handle the mysteries? What do we do with those unsolved questions? How do we live in the realm of untimely pleasure? Chuck has three suggestions for us.

The person at the top of an organization doesn’t have to know all the details of everything within, but he needs to know where it’s going and why. He needs to be ready to defend it.

Few things are more contagious than cheerfulness. A wise leader has a cheerful disposition—what’s your leadership style?

None of us know the future. It’s beyond our control. But what we can control is how we will be remembered. What will your legacy be?

In Ecclesiastes 8, wisdom is personified in the life of “the wise man.” These principles can be applied to today's leaders.

Just when you think you have everything planned perfectly...something happens to change everything. It’s a good reminder that none of us know what the future holds. There’s a bigger plan unfolding...God’s plan.

In this paragraph out of Solomon's journal (Ecclesiastes 8:10-17) we find the wise man, hoping to balance idealism with realism.