The Mercy of Moderation

The Bible teaches us about moderation in multiple places. We are never given license to sin
or overindulge, but we are given freedom to enjoy ourselves in moderation and prudence.

The Mercy of Moderation

"The merciful man does good for his own soul,
But he who is cruel troubles his own flesh."

(Proverbs 11:17)

Warning: Do not read today's devotional if you are hungry. You will only get mad at me.

If you come to Austin, TX, let me encourage you to pay a visit to Gourdough's. It is not the healthiest restaurant in town, but oh my, it is so creative and tasty. Last Friday, all our kids were in town, so we splurged a little (or maybe a lot) and ate specialty doughnuts that were so delicious. Here is my favorite, which I got once again: it is called the Sin A Bomb, and it consists of cream cheese icing topped with melted butter and cinnamon sugar. It only has like 10,000 calories... well, not quite that many, but it has a bunch.

I have always been intrigued by the biblical text for today's devotion. I know it is not teaching a license to sin or overindulge. Moderation is always a good barometer. In other words, to eat five Sin A Bombs would be gluttony, and well, sinful. But every once in a while, to have one or maybe two... (: ...well, I think that is doing good for yourself by enjoying a special treat. For my readers who are sports and exercise enthusiasts, the trail around Lady Bird Lake is not far from Gourdough's, so you might want to take the three-mile walk to burn off the calories.

What do you enjoy? Far more enjoyable for Ashley and me than eating sugar-saturated doughnuts is spending time with our family.

Hanging out with our three kids, their spouses, and our two grandchildren brings such delight to our souls. I have always been somewhat of a workaholic and very passionate in what I do. I love serving the Lord and working hard. But there are times when you've just got to chill, take time off, go on a vacation, and yes, go get a doughnut.

If you are overly stressed for whatever reason, take a break. Slow down. Enjoy life with those you love. Do some good for your soul!

Rewaken your wonder toward God’s Word!

Experience the beauty of God’s story in a new way with Pastor Danny’s sermon series Preaching the Paintings. It’s our thanks to you for your gift today!

Request ‘Preaching the Paintings’ today