Proverbs 25:16 - What I Learned from Ice Cream

This week, my small group was between studies so we planned a social event. For some reason the local ice cream shop comes up often in our group and they have what is called the "Brain Freeze" challenge that a couple of us have been talking about doing, so we decided to make that our social event.

Now the "Brain Freeze" challenge involves eating 8 scoops of ice cream, 6 servings of liquid toppings, and 4 servings of candy toppings. You can choose your flavors of all of these and as they make it they weigh it so that in the end you have 3 pounds of ice cream and toppings. If you can eat it all in 30 minutes or less, you win a free t-shirt. Some of you are probably saying that sounds great, where do I sign-up, while others are probably groaning. Two of us decided to do it.

Well let me tell you I have been excited about this all summer. I love ice cream and felt like this would be no problem. We each selected our ice cream flavors and toppings and they made up our very large sundaes...and there was pleasure in every bite...until I got about 3/4 of the way through...my stomach started to rebel and eating ice cream became something I was trying to do, not something to be enjoyed.

Proverbs 25:16 sings a familiar song...too much of a good thing...

If you have found honey, eat only enough for you, lest you have your fill of it and vomit it.

My experience with the "Brain Freeze" challenge reminded me of this. It reminded me that there is a price to pay for gluttony. What starts out as good and a pleasure turns into something else, something that is not honoring, and something that can leave you feeling sick.

The "Brain Freeze" challenge is not a long-term example of this issue, but if we examine our lives, we can find good examples. Perhaps our excess is in an area such as alcohol, eating, exercise, or one of many other things. Each of these can be something that in some amounts brings us pleasure and can be a part of a balanced life, but overdue it and you pay a price. This excess starts to impact other areas of your life and your ability to experience the full joy that God has planned for you. With the "Brain Freeze" challenge, my stomach felt full the next morning and I skipped breakfast. Throughout the day, my stomach continued to not feel great but I did eat food a couple of times to make sure I was giving my body energy. Each time I did, I felt a little sick and the experience was certainly NOT a pleasure.

Do you have excesses in your life? It may seem like a pleasure now, but there will be a price. Consider the advice from proverbs and experience things in balance. Indulge, but don't overindulge so that you can feel the pleasure that God has for you in each experience.

And for those of you wondering...I finished my 3 pounds of ice cream with 8 minutes to spare...and got my free t-shirt (in a size large enough for me to swim in).