It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes.

(Ecclesiastes 7:18 NIV)

While driving down the road one afternoon, a motorist noticed a small roadside stand with a fortuneteller sitting beneath an umbrella. She was just sitting there, smiling and laughing.

He drove past her.  Then, all of a sudden, he spun his car around and raced back toward the stand. As he approached the still-laughing fortuneteller, he jumped out of his car and began slapping her!

A policeman nearby screeched to a stop and wrestled the man to the ground. After cuffing him, the officer yanked him to his feet and demanded, “What in the world do you think you’re doing?”

The man replied, “Well… I’ve always wanted to strike a happy medium.”

<<insert groan here>>

As corny as the punchline is, the humor contains a grain of truth. One of the keys to faithful Christian living is learning to “strike a happy medium” — not by hitting a fortuneteller, but by practicing moderation and balance.

Ecclesiastes 7:18 says, “It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes.” (NIV). God knows our tendency to swing too far in one direction. Too much work drains our strength; too much rest keeps us from fulfilling our purpose. Too much laughter trivializes life; too many tears crush our spirit. Too much immersion in the world weakens our spiritual focus; too much isolation from the world makes us forget our mission.

The life of Jesus is the perfect picture of balance. He withdrew for solitude, but he also entered crowded streets filled with needs. He celebrated at weddings and wept at gravesides. He engaged sinners with compassion but also confronted hypocrisy with boldness.  He knew when to speak and when to remain silent, when to act and when to wait.

Christian maturity means learning these rhythms — grasping one truth without letting go of another, holding joy and sorrow, work and rest, solitude and fellowship in the right proportion. A balanced life is not accidental; it is formed as we walk with Christ, listen to his Word, and allow his Spirit to shape our lives.

Prayer: Father, teach me to avoid extremes and to live with the balance your Word describes. Help me to follow the rhythms of Jesus — finding rest, embracing work, seeking solitude, and loving others well. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Alan Smith
Reprinted with permission from Alan Smith’s Thought For the Day