How close is too close? How far is too far? How much is too much? These are questions we ask as children growing up exploring boundaries in life. As adults we actually continue the same questions often seeking to work out things we still didn’t work out well as kids or we still may be seeking to explore the limits to find the balance for the best life. Balance, boundaries and limits are the key.
Such it is with much of life. Whether seeking love or something to eat one must balance risks with reward. The risk of immediate gratification may lead to disaster down the road. Remember the story most of us heard as children where Esau gave up his entire future for a bowl of soup. I am sure Esau was quite hungry from being out hunting but was it worth his future inheritance? The sad fact about this story is that just that, it is fact! This is not a fairy tale. Jacob and Esau are historic characters from the true account of human failure recorded accurately in the Bible. We still see the same true accounts of human failure recorded each day in our current history. It may be Rick Pitino, Michael Vick, Mark Sandford today or O. J. Simpson, Bill Clinton or a long list from a our recent past. The names may change, but the story essentially remains the same, people throwing away life, reputation, character and more for the ‘pleasure’ of a moment or the temptation of believing the rules do not apply to them.
A 65 foot waterfall named Dry Falls flows on the Cullasaja River through the Nantahala National Forest in North Carolina. Dry Falls flows over an overhanging bluff that allows visitors to walk up under the falls and remain relatively dry. One can hear the tremendous sound of the powerful waterfall and feel the mist of the cool mountain stream, if you keep your balance and stay within safe the prescribed boundaries you will remain safe and enjoy the thrill of the falls. However if you are tempted to have a greater thrill and think somehow that the barriers are for less able people and you sneak past the prescribed boundaries you can silp and crash over the side to certain injury and perhaps death. I share the Dry Falls analogy to make the point of human failure to balance the risk of temptation for adventure while staying safe within the prescribed boundaries.
I have enjoyed risk of adventure much of my life. I was once in a conference on fear where we were asked to write our fears on a sheet of paper. Not trying to be macho, I simply wrote one line, “I am afraid I am going to miss something.” I don’t want to leave this life without experiencing all God has for me. That means I have to balance the risk of enjoying adventure with the care of not screwing up a risky adventure and checking out of life too quickly. You may remember the well documented final words of a red-neck, “Hey ya’ll wach this!” It also means I need to remember that a lifetime of integrity can be destroyed in a moment’s foolish digression. The Apostle Paul described the balance well in I Corinthians 10:23 when he said, "Everything is permissible"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"—but not everything is constructive.” 1 Corinthians 10:31 tells us that whether we eat or drink or whatever we do, we are to do it all for the glory of God.
Finding the balance in what is beneficial and constructive is the key. Life is far too precious to be wasted on the temptation of what seems to be pleasure for a moment. It is meant to be enjoyed but handled with care. Therefore, here is where I have found the key to balance in my life. In all things I think, do and say I ask; is this permissible, is this constructive and does it glorify God?
