Avoid Too Much Of A Potentially Good Thing
Work can be a tricky thing. William Gladstone became a great English leader and expert in government finance because he worked fourteen hours a day. Michelangelo and Thomas Edison attributed their creative genius to extremely hard work. Jefferson said hard work pays off in more ‘luck’ and Ford encouraged us to break work down into manageable portions. John Wooden exhorts us to do more than is required of us and the Bible tells us to do our work with all our heart (Colossians 3:23).
However, we know that too much work can kill us – there is also a time for rest and play (Eccl 3:1). President Polk, for example, died shortly after leaving office. The probable cause was him cutting back on sleep to get all his work done. He probably died of overwork. No doubt, many of us know individuals whose health is compromised by doing too much.
Then there is Lincoln. He did work very hard in studying things that related to God’s call on his life (whether or not Lincoln actually saw it that way). Yet, Lincoln took time to get refreshed at Seward’s house and to tell funny stories so he and others could laugh. This should remind us that no matter how hard we work, we need to also rest, laugh, and play. After all, God’s Wisdom is playful (Prov 8:30-31, NEB). We should be too.
Comforting others is costly but worth it.