Don't Put on the Poker Face

Hello guys! This morning I was reading in Ecclesiastes, and this is a verse that jumped out at me:
"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? It is good that you grasp this, and also not remove your hand from the other; for he who fears God will escape them all."
I love this verse, because it puts into great words something I often think about. Sometimes I have tried (in vain) to do "just right". I put on some strange mood that is what I describe as "a fit of morality" or as Oswald Chambers termed it: "Spiritual gymnastics". Now, there is a big difference between trying to act in a Christ-like manner, and trying to pose so that you are being "a good Christian". Sometimes I hardly notice when I am posing, and I am going around doing things that are perfectly godly. But the effort seems to tire me out. I am "destroying myself". Why? Because I am doing these things without the strength of the Lord. Jesus promised that He is living water. So when I pose and find myself terribly thirsty, it is because I am leaving Christ out of the picture. Daniel always reminds me that I must abide. Effort without true Christ-like love, (His heart) is just sounding brass and clanging symbols. The end of the verse I quoted above is so true: "For he who fears God will escape them all." It says right there what I have seen proved out in my own life. Isn't that amazing? It is possible to be toasty-oats dry and overly "righteous", and it is possible to be terribly foolish, but if we abide with Jesus, we will almost unconciously begin imitating Him, and there is where we must stay. It is a funny thing. I have seen it happen in myself that I try to....let's say for example, I try very hard to be patient with a younger sister. I strive to keep a sweet temper, and while I may not show outward signs of frustration or anger, my heart is definitely agitated. That is in my own strength, but when I am in constant communication with my King, I find that out of my heart, I really do wish to bear patiently the attitude of a sibling. I begin to see the reason perhaps, of their foul mood, and I suddenly find it easier to truly, from my heart, deal with the issue in a godly way. How great is our God who gives to all liberally if they will ask! His wisdom is so gloriously abundant, and I revel in discovering new treasures of it each day! :) -Rachel