When Wisdom Feels Useless and We Despise God’s Gift
When the Gift Feels Pointless
I recently came across a passage I had never truly paused to ponder—Ecclesiastes 2:12–17. In it, King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, reflects on wisdom itself. And not in the way you’d expect.
He says, “Wisdom excels folly… yet what happens to the fool also happens to the wise. So I said in my heart, this too is meaningless.”
Wait—what?!
This was the same Solomon who famously offered a thousand burnt offerings to God. When God asked what he wanted, he didn’t ask for riches or revenge. He asked for wisdom. And God, pleased with that request, gave him not just wisdom, but wealth, peace, and fame.
Yet here, the man who had it all was questioning the very gift he once desired above all else.
The Nature of Desire
We’ve all been there. We pray. We fast. We wait. We desire something so deeply that when we finally receive it, we cherish it because we remember the cost.
We value the things we work hardest for: the marriage that came after years of loneliness, the child born after tears and faith, the career earned through hustle and rejection.
But what about the gifts we didn’t ask for? The blessings we never pursued?
Human nature often treats freely given gifts with less reverence than those we fought for. It’s easy to ignore what you didn’t sweat for.
Could that be what happened to Solomon? Could that be what happened to Nigeria?
A King Who Didn’t Ask
Consider President Goodluck Jonathan.
It’s often said he never sought to be Governor, let alone President. Destiny carried him there. From Deputy Governor to the top office in the land, he was thrust forward by history, not ambition.
But when he got there, he seemed unsure of what to do with the gift. He didn’t appear eager. He rarely spoke from the heart. At a time when Nigeria needed a David, a bold leader to confront its Goliath, Jonathan himself admitted: “I am no David.”
That confession echoed Solomon’s lament. What good is the gift if I can’t use it?
Despising the Gift
There’s something dangerous about treating divine gifts with indifference. When King Saul despised his divine appointment, God removed him (2 Samuel 6:21). The parable of the talents tells us the same thing: neglect the Master’s assignment, and it’ll be given to another (Matthew 25:28).
Jonathan didn’t seize the moment. He didn’t rise with the conviction of a man called to lead. Instead, others had to convince him to want what he already had.
But heaven keeps records.
God Is Always Searching
When God looked for someone to confront Nigeria’s deep-rooted injustice, He needed a David. Jonathan said, “Not me.” And so, God turned to another.
Isaiah 45 tells us of Cyrus, a foreign king used by God to deliver Israel. Sometimes God will raise even the unexpected to fulfill His will. If David won’t step forward, Cyrus will.
We must remember: every good and perfect gift comes from above (James 1:17). And every gift comes with a responsibility to honour the Giver, not just enjoy the gift.
A Lesson for Us All
This is not just a political critique. It’s a mirror.
How many of us have received something we didn’t earn, and treated it as though it didn’t matter?
Your marriage. Your children. Your career. Your voice. Your influence.
When we forget that these are divine deposits, we become like Solomon, wondering what it was all for. Or like Jonathan, blinking in the spotlight, unsure how to lead in a moment that demanded courage.
The Call Is Still Going Out
God is still looking for Davids: men and women with tender hearts and fierce loyalty. He’s searching for those who won’t just hold positions, but fulfill purpose.
When we reject the call, we don’t just waste the gift; we risk losing it entirely.
Let us not despise what God has placed in our hands. Let us not echo Solomon’s sigh or Jonathan’s shrug. Let us rise, with hearts ready to say, “Here I am, Lord. Send me.”
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