There is a rather strange proverb in Ecclesiastes. “Do not be overly righteous, nor be overly wise: Why should you destroy yourself? Do not be overly wicked nor be foolish; Why should you die before your time?” (Ecc 7:16-17).
How can a person be overly righteous or over wise? Is the scripture admonishing us to add a little spice to our lives by some ungodliness? We know from the rest of scripture that cannot be accurate.
However, most of us have met someone who attempts to give spiritual meaning to every thing in life. Conversations with them tend to be surreal. If they receive a complement on their appearance, the response is, “It’s all God.” If someone tells them they enjoyed their singing, again the response is, “it’s all God.” Going to lunch with them may be a religious experience, praying about what restaurant to pick, where to park or may go as far as attempting to discern if they should go to lunch at all.
Over spiritualizing every normal interaction demeans the importance of true godly behavior and diminishes the glory of God.
