HE TRIED TOO HARD

One time my son-in-law “tried out” at a congregation, which was seeking a gospel preacher. Afterwards, the brethren declined to ask him to move there. He asked them what their reasoning was. Their only reply was that “He tried too hard.” Imagine that! Most folks would give you an “E” for effort, but not those brethren. One can imagine the opposite scenario. “Well, you didn’t try hard enough.” That might make sense, if brethren thought the preacher were lazy and did not put forth much effort, but to try too hard? Perhaps he should have said, “Give me another chance and I won’t try at all!”

 Can you imagine the apostle Paul saying in 2 Tim. 4, “I fought the good fight, I finished my course, but I did not keep the faith because, I tried too hard. So, there is no crown laid up for me and also none laid up for all those other Christians who just tried too hard!” (2 Tim.4: 7-8, NPV). (New Pessimists Version)

 And can you imagine the Lord saying, “Be thou faithful unto death, and you shall receive the crown of life, unless you tried too hard, then sorry, depart from me.” (Rev.2: 10, NPV).

 I looked through the Scriptures and did not find any warning against “trying too hard” to be a faithful child of God. In fact, the opposite is true. Paul says to be “always abounding in the work of the Lord…” (1 Cor.15: 58). Again, Paul said, “Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as you have received of us how you ought to walk and to please God, so you would abound more and more” (1 Thess.5: 1). Again, in 2 Cor.9: 8, Paul says that God wants us to “abound to every good work.” Again the Hebrew writer said, “Let us go on to perfection” (Heb.6: 1). (Underlining mine for emphasis, LRD). So, don’t worry about trying too hard. Just be faithful and obedient to God!

                                                 (Larry R. DeVore)