Wisdom, Humility, and the Long View

“Better was a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knew how to take advice.”
— Ecclesiastes 4:13 (ESV)

Last week, we reflected on the hope Ecclesiastes 4 offers: that work, though often difficult, is made more meaningful when it is shared. We explored the ways community can redeem our toil and help us avoid isolation.

One of the ways we at Navigators Missional Enterprise work to build community is through M3 Cohorts, groups of current and aspiring leaders of missional enterprises, who meet regularly for encouragement, inspiration, and advice. Some groups meet in person, while others meet virtually.

If you or someone you know might be interested in an opportunity to develop in a community like this, follow this link (https://navmissionalenterprise.org/m3-cohorts/) to learn more and sign up to participate in a future cohort.

But Ecclesiastes Chapter 4 doesn’t end with those words about shared work. It continues with a word about leadership and the posture we bring to our work—not just the people we labor with, but how we carry ourselves as we do it.

Wisdom and Teachability Matter

The Teacher contrasts two leaders: a poor, young man who is wise and teachable, and an older king who no longer listens. The lesson is subtle but sharp—humility and openness to counsel can be more valuable than experience or position.

In the context of enterprise leadership, this is a timely reminder. It’s easy, as we grow in experience, to grow less teachable. But true wisdom often begins with the willingness to receive it.

This principle resonates with the model Patrick Lencioni describes in The Ideal Team Player:

“Great team players lack excessive ego or concerns about status. They are quick to point out the contributions of others and slow to seek attention for their own. … It is no great surprise, then, that humility is the single greatest and most indispensable attribute of being a team player.”

Are we creating cultures where feedback is welcomed? Are we still seeking mentors and learning from others who have walked the road ahead?

Even in missional business, it’s possible to lose our edge when we stop listening.

The Long View: Now and Not Yet

Ecclesiastes 4 closes with a final reflection — a note of realism:

“There was no end of all the people, all of whom he led. Yet those who come later will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind.” (v. 16)

Even the most fruitful efforts won’t always be recognized. Success may fade. Legacies may be forgotten. The chapter ends, as many parts of Ecclesiastes do, with a sigh of sorts.

But that sigh is not the whole story.

In Romans 8, the Apostle Paul describes creation itself as “groaning.” And yet, that longing for redemption will surely one day be fulfilled.

“The creation waits with eager longing… to be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.”
— Romans 8:19, 21 (ESV)

That’s the bigger picture. Even though the best teamwork and advice may not yield sustaining earthly results, we can still build with great hope. Not the kind of hope that demands everything be made right now, but the kind that trusts God will complete what He has begun. And in the meantime, we get to participate in glimpses of that redemption.

Verse of the Week

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Romans 8:18 (ESV)

Lord, give us grace this week to build with humility and hope centered in the greatness of the “glory that is to be revealed.”