Too Much of a Good Thing is Too Much

I have a friend who absolutely loves plants. His house is practically a jungle: a vibrant, green oasis filled with every type of plant you can imagine. He loved tending to them, nurturing them, and watching them thrive.

But one day, he shared that a prized plant he’d been carefully cultivating started wilting and dropping leaves. 

Confused, he increased the watering, thinking more was surely better. Instead of recovering, the plant got worse until, eventually, it nearly died.

Concerned, he took it to an expert gardener. The gardener explained gently, “Your plant isn’t dying from neglect. It’s dying because you’re giving it too much water.”

My friend was stunned. He learned something that day that went beyond gardening:

Even good things, when done excessively, can do more harm than good.

Life often feels this way, doesn’t it? 

Maybe you’re pouring yourself into your job, striving for success, but you’re sacrificing critical time with your family. 

Maybe you're deeply involved in ministry or community service, but you’ve neglected rest and your personal spiritual renewal. 

Perhaps your schedule is filled with wonderful opportunities and good activities, but it’s leaving you exhausted and depleted.

Proverbs 25:16 puts it simply and powerfully: “If you find honey, eat just enough—too much of it, and you will vomit.”

Honey is sweet and good, yet even honey can become harmful if you consume too much. The truth is clear: balance matters.

Balance is not about doing less; it’s about doing what matters most.

So today, pause and honestly reflect:

• Are there good things in your life that you've allowed to crowd out the best things?
• Is your pursuit of work, ministry, or success leaving you feeling depleted or disconnected from family and faith?
• Where might you need to pull back or simplify to restore balance?

Remember my friend's plant: too much water, or too much of something good, almost destroyed it. 

Let’s not make the same mistake in our lives.