Too Much of a Good Thing...

The saying goes that too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. Whether it be nutrition, exercise, relationships, work, leisure or whatever, balance is important.

Do you like honey? Don’t eat too much, or it will make you sick!… It’s not good to eat too much honey, and it’s not good to seek honors for yourself. Proverbs 25:16, 27 (New Living Translation, NLT)

If we like a certain food, like honey, eating too much of it will make us sick. Honey itself is not bad. It is actually a healthy kind of sweetener, but eating it to excess is harmful to us. Something meant to be good can become bad. It’s all about what we do with what we have and exercising self-control.

Just like eating too much honey is bad, seeking honor for ourselves is also bad. We are to wait on God to honor us. Self-promotion is usually short-lived and unsatisfying. Where God places you, He keeps you- and He gets the glory for it.

Don’t visit your neighbors too often, or you will wear out your welcome. Proverbs 25:17 (New Living Translation, NLT)

It’s good to have friends, but don’t overstay your welcome. Fellowship is good and believers sharpen each other by spending time together. However, everyone needs some space and we need to keep our relationships in balance.

Living healthy is good, but we have to do it wisely. It’s good to eat healthy foods, but even too much of healthy foods can be bad. Drink clean water, take good nutritional supplements, and take time to exercise. All of these things are beneficial in the proper amounts. We can drink too much water. We can take too many supplements or get too much of a nutrient and do damage to our health. The key is balance, moderation, and variety.

Did you know that you can even go to church too much? Church attendance and support can get out of balance if we spend most of our time going to church and not nurturing a personal relationship with God, not to mention a relationship with our families. Church is important but a relationship with God is our top priority. Spend time alone with God, and have some alone time with yourself. Then spend time with your spouse and children. And together, go to church to worship God and be with fellow believers. Keep the main things the main things.

Going to extremes in any area of your life is unhealthy and unwise. Work to maintain balance in all areas of your life. As you do, you will find that in the proper amount, a good thing can remain a good thing.