“Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise – why destroy yourself? Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool – why die before your time? It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. The man who fears God will avoid all extremes.” Ecc. 7:16-18.
Any good Christian will tell you that being overly wicked and foolish will lead to destruction, but how many would tell you that being too righteous would cause the same thing? I never really thought about it much either, but I can see how it’s true.
Being “overrighteous” quickly turns into being self-righteous – which leads to being judgemental, close-minded, and eventually hypocritical. Over time, the message of Christ is perverted and people are driven away from Him instead of toward Him. If there’s anything that will destroy Christianity, it will be Christians themselves.
This verse kind of takes some of the pressure off of trying to be that perfect Christian who never struggles with temptation and never breaks the rules. A Christian life is not about being extremely good or moral; it’s about finding a balance and living a REAL, genuine life with God. And I don’t care who you are – if you’re being real, you’re not being perfect!
2 comments:
Speaking as a nontheistic humanist, I love the book of Ecclesiastes. It's a wonderfully pragmatic book.
(I'm new here; I found your blog while looking for the "Borat gets saved" video to show a friend of mine the church I was brought up in. Woudl you believe that scene in the movie is actually tame compared to things I've seen?)
Smellincoffee:
I hate to hear about your Pencostal experience. I never understood how someone could develop a real relationship with God in that kind of environment, and judging from some of your experiences, I guess I was right. It stinks that you had to go through that.
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