Our grandson loves to turn on the seat heaters when he rides in the back seat of our car. Since we don’t ride in the back we are not aware that they are on–usually on high. This weekend we took some friends for a ride to New Hampshire. They never said anything because at first it felt really good. It was crisp outside and the warm seat was snuggly. Unfortunately they did not know where the control was and it wasn’t very long before they were extremely uncomfortable. It was way too much.
I must admit my amusement but also pondered the reality that one can always get too much of a good thing. We can eat too much, breathe too much, sleep too much and even go to church too much. Balance is the key to the abundant life. Balance doesn’t always come easily. Remember when you first tried to ride a bike? At the circus we watch people walk a tight rope. It took hours and hours of practice to develop that kind of balance.
When we lose our balance we fall. When we fall we have two options. We can stay down or we can get up and try again. Living a really good life can be as tricky as walking a tight rope. People irritate us and we say things we regret. We over indulge in something we really enjoy. We fudge a little on our taxes. I could go on but each of us knows our weaknesses. The good news is despite our failures and falls Jesus never gives up on us. No matter how many times we lose our balance He is there to help us get up so we can try again. See I John 1:9.
Written by Roger Bothwell on March 19, 2009
Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
rogerbothwell.org