Moderation vs. Discernment

And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will take over all my work that I labored at skillfully under the sun. This too is futile. (Ecclesiastes 2:19)

This is the “law of diminishing return” and this is what Solomon is saying. If you work too little, you have no purpose and you’re bored and lazy. If you don’t have any knowledge you’re going to be like the fool; you’re not going to have wisdom. You’re going to walk in darkness. But if you have too much wisdom, you’re rate of return stops. You’ve wasted hours on something where you could have invested in other places.

For us as believers, we can learn from Solomon. We allow God to give us discernment in our work or pleasure or laughter or entertainment or knowledge of where it’s too little and where it’s too much.

A lot people say you need a balance, you need this or that in moderation. No. that’s not it. We need God’s discernment, because moderation is up to you. Understanding what God wants from us puts moderation to the side and asks God for direction on where we need to lean in, where we need to step back, where are we foolish or lazy? We need God’s help. Moderation and balance are up to us. We need God’s help to give us direction in these things.

Watch the full sermon here.