Don't Over Do It!

Ecclesiastes 9:17-18

Do not be over righteous…Do not be over wicked…It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. The man who fears God will avoid all extremes.

Have you ever met someone who was so heavenly minded they were no earthly good or so dark that you couldn’t see any light in them? Sometimes, you want to ask people why are you so serious and then other times, do you take anything serious?’ there has to be a balance.

The writer of Ecclesiastes says that the man who fears God avoids all extremes but has a good handle on both worlds. In this book, the Next Christian, Gabe Lyons talks about how this generation of Christians don’t overreact to the world but they actively engage the world. We are not to be ascetic Christians that remove ourselves from the world but we are to be Christ centered so that we go into the world to shine our lights. We don’t have to alleviate fun we elevate fun.

Jesus was the best example living a balanced life. He went to a wedding banquet and restocked the whine barrels. He attended a house party with Matthew and his friends. He talked to a sexually promiscuous woman at a well in broad day light. He touched a man who had leprosy and put himself at risk for infection. Jesus recognized the balance in life. He was serious about his work but he didn’t take himself so serious that he couldn’t enjoy life.

He told his disciples, I came to give you life and life more abundantly. He knew the hypocrisy of religious people and how you could never please them:

Matthew 11:18-19 GNT

When John the Baptist came, he fasted and drink no wine, and everyone said, “he has a demon in him! When Jesus came, he ate and drink with sinners and everyone said, “Look at this man! He is a glutton and wine drinker, a friend of tax collectors and other outcasts! God’s wisdom, however, is shown to be true by its results.”

In other words Jesus said, “The proof is in the pudding.” are people being helped by how you live your life? Are you engaging people without losing your identity and godly influence?

Don’t overdo it!

1. Work hard and play hard. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy but all play and no work makes him a dumb boy.

2. Stay prayed up so you can stay effective as you engage. Engaging the world drains you, spending time with God fills you. Do both.

3. Have a mixture of friends saved and unsaved with the hopes of enriching their lives as they do yours.

4. Enjoy your life because when it’s over, it’s over.

Dear God,

Thank you for a balanced life. Continue to ground me in your goodness so that I can actively engage the world without being corrupted. Help me to love the world as Jesus did instead of running from it. Help me not to overdo it but to be true to it. Help me to live my life abundantly.

In Jesus Name,
Amen