God’s Moderation Over Idolatry’s Extremes

An unmistakable pattern that emerges over generations is that of the tendency for goals outside God’s realm to veer into extremes. These goals need not be against God per se, but rather untethered from divine wisdom and empowering the self. Imagine planting seeds in your garden. If you water too little, the seedlings shrivel but water them too much, and they rot. The same principle applies to human goals: too much focus on any one thing will lead to immoderation and, ultimately, failure. These are simplistic terms for a more complex operation at hand: God knows best.

From the rise and fall of empires to the ebb and flow of revolutions, history is replete with examples of how human goals outside God’s larger plans tend toward extremism. History books are replete with such evidence. For instance, the Roman Empire was initially founded on principles of justice and order, it expanded with relentless ambition, eventually crumbling under the weight of its own excesses which changed the shapes of the original Roman systems. Roma became unrecognisable by the end, and indeed it was something else. The French Revolution, for most involved, began as a quest for liberation and called for fairness under the name of equality, yet it spiralled into violence and terror. The extremes of the guillotine quickly replaced the moderation of Enlightenment’s better ideals. The modern Zionist machine in Israel had some of the most powerful people in the world on its side but then it chose to use its power in rage, which was wholly unnecessary and, further, ruined their reputation.

Human goals outside God’s realm often lead to extremes because our finite reason struggles with balance, especially at grander scales over time. Our minds are incredible tools, capable of profound insights and achievements but also massive mistakes. Left unguided by divine wisdom, we become myopic, fixating on singular goals to the exclusion of all other things. Aiming for any one thing across generations requires an inhuman level of consistency and focus, and on goals that will not change things to such a degree that the goal becomes inconsequential or unimportant otherwise. Without divine flexibility in the fibre of our goals, methods wither away, and the goal is eventually lost. Ironically, success itself creates unhealthy extremes. Further, achieving goals also often leads to overconfidence, making it harder to adjust course when necessary. They say “all roads lead to Rome,” but this is true of all roads except one.

Our reason is like a telescope in that it guides us but can malfunction if not calibrated correctly, and becomes that much less valuable with greater distance. When we rely solely on our human intellect, we lose sight of the broader context and the delicate balance required for sustained success. This is where divine wisdom comes in: it provides the calibrations needed to navigate life’s complexities across generational differences, and it has this built in. Think of a relay race where each runner must pass the baton perfectly to the next. Any misstep can disrupt the entire process. Similarly, multi-generational goals require seamless transitions and adaptability. Without divine guidance, methods become rigid, and the goal becomes increasingly elusive or impossible.

Success blinds us to our limitations, and so we become focused on maintaining what we’ve already achieved, losing sight of the need for adjustment and adaptation. This rigidity is extreme and always pushes too hard in one direction while ignoring other crucial aspects. Philosophers like Aristotle and Aquinas have long argued that virtue lies in moderation: the ‘Golden Mean.” Extremes, whether too much or too little, are inherently unbalanced and unsustainable.

Dear readers, I wish you harmony, balance, and moderation. I wish you discovery, goodness, and for your paths in God’s plan to open up ever more. I wish your godly goals are not only achievable but also enduring and meaningful. God bless and thank you for reading.