May 21

As dead flies bring a stench to the perfumer’s oil, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor. — Eccl 10:1 BSB

It is sad to see how some holy and noble characters are marred by small yet significant faults and blemishes.

One person may be generous, but always desires praise for their charity.
Another is kind and helpful, but their manner embarrasses or humiliates the one they help.
Another may be devout and unselfish, but they are careless with promises and engagements. They make appointments and forget them. They borrow money but fail to repay it. Their friends say, “They’re so forgetful!” Yes, but this forgetfulness mars their character and harms their influence. Forgetfulness isn’t just an innocent weakness; it is a sin.

Untruthfulness is a stain on anyone’s character.
Whenever self-centeredness leaks out in our behavior, it is like a “dead fly in the perfume”!

It doesn’t matter that a person may not mean to be at fault in the things that mar their life. Carelessness and thoughtlessness are serious moral flaws that make excuses impossible. We need to be attentive to the “small things” that either make or break godly character. No fault is too small to correct, and no piece of goodness is too small to add to the mosaic of a godly life.