Just Do it (Ecclesiastes 11:1–6)

The Nike brand name didn’t come from marketing genius but from a dream. When the company was preparing to rebrand from “Blue Ribbon Sports,” they were pressed for time and asked employees for suggestions. The founder favoured “Dimension 6,” but one evening their first employee dreamed of Nike, the Greek goddess. He brought it to the board, and with limited options and time pressure, they decided: “Just do it. Just give that name.” And so Nike was born.

Our lives often mirror this scenario. We live in a world filled with time constraints, uncertainties, hesitations, and dreams. This most often leads to living passive lives—lives of “what ifs,” passivity, and paralysing worry.

The preacher in Ecclesiastes helps us see that we shouldn’t focus on the “what ifs” and uncertainties, but rather live in the “just do it” stage of life. In Ecclesiastes 11:1-6, he gives us four ways to live boldly despite uncertainty.

First, the preacher tells us to live proactively—to be bold but wise. “Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days. Give a portion to seven, or even to eight, for you know not what disaster may happen on earth” (vv. 1–2).

The metaphor of casting bread upon the waters fits the context of trading. Solomon, likely the author of Ecclesiastes, knew that when he sent his bread on ships to foreign lands, profit returned. He experienced the fruit of his labours by casting his goods upon the waters and letting them sail to distant markets.

The preacher encourages us: “Cast your bread and you will be fruitful.” But immediately he adds wisdom: “Don’t do it mindlessly. Be proactive, but be wise. Divide it up.” Don’t send everything on one boat—pirates might hijack it, or the boat might sink, and then all your bread is gone. Spread it among seven or eight vessels.

This is the first time “you do not know” appears in our text. Because we do not know what will happen, we should diversify. Basically, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Take calculated risks.

We shouldn’t be paralysed by fear or refuse to take risks by living in the “what ifs.” Some people won’t even send their bread on one boat, never mind multiple vessels. The safest place for a boat is in the harbour, but that’s not why boats were designed. They were made to set sail, go out, and conquer—to carry cargo and accomplish their purpose.

God himself was intentionally proactive. The Father sent his son to do the specific work of saving a people for himself. God the Father cast the bread of life upon the waters to bring a return of people to himself. He knew we couldn’t save ourselves, so he sent his son to bring us in through his labours.

As Jesus said in John 9:4-5: “We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

Because of God’s intentional proactiveness, we can just do it. We should be intentionally proactive when casting our bread in the kingdom’s waters. We need to realise that effort produces return—you won’t get a return if you don’t send it out.

Be generous to multiple generations. Don’t just give to your friends or family. Cast your bread wide, from old to young. Be generous in your work and to your family. Many say they provide for their family and that’s why they work hard, but you need to divide among seven or eight boats. Work hard to provide for your family, but don’t neglect them. Give to them as well. Conversely, don’t get so busy with family that you neglect your work.

Be proactive and wise. Be generous. Plan for things to go wrong. Before Christ returns to make things perfect, things will go wrong. That’s why we back up our files and save our work. But don’t worry—divide your efforts and be proactive with calculated risk.

Second, the preacher exhorts us to live contentedly—to accept what you cannot change. “If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth, and if a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie. He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap” (vv. 3–4).

This is the second time “do not know” appears. The preacher says we do not know the laws of nature. The clouds can be loaded and dark, but you don’t know if it will rain. A tree might fall, but you won’t necessarily hear it.

The preacher warns readers not to wait for ideal conditions before acting. If you wait for everything to be perfect, you’ll never do anything. We should accept everything in life that we cannot change. If the clouds are full, they’ll rain. If a tree falls, it falls. You can’t change it.

Don’t live in the “what ifs”—it’s a futile exercise. Trust God in what you cannot change. We can’t live as if life deals us a random hand of cards. The world isn’t ruled by fate or chance. You cannot wait for the perfect situation to act.

Those who never try will never succeed. God is working—it’s not fatalistic or by chance. We might not know, but God knows. We don’t know creation, but we know the creator. Fate says it doesn’t matter, but in light of God being in control, our work does matter.

We are called to work faithfully, not fatalistically. We shouldn’t wait for the right time to spend ourselves for the kingdom. Don’t wait for the right time to have important conversations, make commitments, or pursue spiritual disciplines. It’ll never completely quiet down.

The tree will fall and it will rain. When we forget that God is at work, we become practical fatalists. As Jesus taught in Matthew 6:34: “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

Life has enough present challenges without wasting time waiting for the perfect moment.

Third, the preacher exhorts us to live faithfully—to trust God’s sovereign plan. “As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything” (v. 5).

Here’s the third occurrence of “we don’t know.” We don’t know the plan of God. We won’t understand everything God is up to. We don’t understand how bones form in the womb or how a body develops—it just happens through God’s mysterious work.

Life brings trials and troubles, joys and sorrows. We don’t know which comes first or how long they’ll last, but he does. He is the one who made everything.

Life is uncertain, things go wrong, and suffering comes, but this doesn’t mean we should give in to fear. Even though we don’t know what God is doing in the moment, we do know that God is in control of all things. This should fuel our boldness to just do it.

Faithful living means living in the knowledge that God is in control and resting in his kindness and grace. Live for God’s glory in light of his rule over all things. We can be content because he knows. Whether it rains or the tree falls, whether a baby is born or not—we live. We just do it.

Finally, the preacher exhorts us to live actively—to use every opportunity. “In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good” (v. 6).

This is the final occurrence of “do not know.” The preacher says you do not know what will prosper. You cast your seed—one patch might thrive while another fails. We don’t know which efforts will succeed.

But the preacher says don’t let uncertainty stop you. Sow your seed. Whether it grows is up to the Lord. Use every opportunity to work. Just do it.

Cover your efforts with thanksgiving and entrust them to God’s sovereign rule. Risk is inevitable, so live and make the most of it. This isn’t a careless attitude but a worry-free one, grounded in trust.

Instead of becoming numb with worry and fear, look to God and fear him more. The theme of Ecclesiastes is enjoying everything in life as it pushes you to fear God more and worship him. Scatter your seed to prosper spiritually and honor God.

The preacher closes this section by encouraging us to be intentionally proactive, content, faithful, and active. We shouldn’t treat God like a genie—consulting him but then sitting back waiting for him to do everything. Don’t wait for the perfect job, relationship, health situation, or circumstances.

Live by this principle: wait actively. Even while waiting, remain active. God cannot steer a stationary ship. Grow in the fear of God, step out, and sow your seed.

You can either consume your seed for temporary satisfaction, or sow it faithfully, let it grow and multiply, then feed many. The only work that brings eternal reward is the work of the Lord. In everything we do, we should work faithfully for him—whether as teacher, doctor, attorney, ministry worker, or parent.

As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:57-58: “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labour is not in vain.”

So just do it. Spread your seed, cast your bread upon the waters. Divide your efforts and be proactive.

Four times in six verses, the preacher says “we do not know.” We live in a world of uncertainty because we do not know. We want to play it safe, but in the end, we do nothing. The result is missing God-given opportunities for the kingdom.

We are called to live boldly in light of uncertainties. We must entrust the results to the hands of the Almighty.

So we should just do it.

AMEN