Too Much of a Good Thing
Do you have too much goodness in your life? I don’t know if I’ve ever heard anyone complain about things going too well in their life. Things are just too good. I have too many blessings. Why does life have to be filled with so many blessings? No. We complain about the opposite: it’s too much trouble and pain and evil. We like to complain about the bad times and we can make them seem worse than they are, which will lead to downplaying the good times. But what if there is a God who loves us more than we could ever understand and what if that God had your best interest at heart? Would you trust Him with the balance of good and bad in your life? If you did, you probably wouldn't complain in the bad times. What if that God equipped you in a particular way and has specific plans for your life that were meant to make you prosper, not harm you? Well that’s all Scriptural truth, but we seem to lose sight of it in light of the bad times in our lives.
Alisa Childers recently described Christianity this way: “Christianity isn’t a philosophy…it’s actually putting active faith and trust in the person and work of Jesus Christ. And that faith is not blind, it’s not a leap in the dark, it’s based on evidence.” Something we can all grow in is our faith and trust in God. God loves us more than we could ever understand and because of that love, He has our best interest at heart. Jesus communicated this truth using the example of gift-giving.
“‘You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.’” (Matthew 7:9-11)
So why the bad times then? And why do the bad times seem to be more frequent than the good? Well sometimes it’s on us. Are you choosing the Lord daily or are you choosing your sin? In Isaiah 59, the prophet made it clear that “The Lord’s arm is not too weak to save you, nor is his ear too deaf to hear you call.” Isaiah points out that our sins separate us from God, and if we are choosing a path that separates, then things are going to seem worse than if we are choosing God’s way and walking closer with Jesus each day.
“Do you like honey? Don’t eat too much, or it will make you sick!” (Proverbs 25:16)
This is what we call too much of a good thing. God, in His infinite wisdom, knows that too much of a good thing is ultimately bad for us. There was an experiment done with a woman wherein electrodes were placed directly onto the pleasure center of her brain and she was given control over the electrodes. She used the controller until her hands blistered and she asked for the device to be taken off but then would refuse it when the technicians came in to remove it. Here’s an excerpt from the study:
“At its most frequent, the patient self-stimulated throughout the day, neglecting personal hygiene and family commitments. A chronic ulceration developed at the tip of the finger used to adjust the amplitude dial and she frequently tampered with the device in an effort to increase the stimulation amplitude. At times, she implored her to limit her access to the stimulator, each time demanding its return after a short hiatus. During the past two years, compulsive use has become associated with frequent attacks of anxiety, depersonalization, periods of psychogenic polydipsia and virtually complete inactivity.”
Our great God knows what is best for us and has our best interests in mind. We may want good things all the time, but good times all the time might actually be terrible for us. This is not to say that God causes bad things in our lives; it is to say that we need to trust Him completely no matter our circumstances: good or bad. Ultimately, what we need is more and more faith and trust in God.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
