Are You Too Righteous or Too Reckless? | Ecclesiastes 7:15-18

Life can feel like walking a tightrope.
Lean too far one way—self-righteousness—and you become rigid and judgmental.
Lean too far the other—reckless sin—and you risk destruction.
But what if there’s a better way?

Welcome to The Daily, where we go through the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every single day.

Today, we’re looking at Ecclesiastes 7:15-18:

In my vain life I have seen everything. There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing. Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time? It is good that you should take hold of this, and from that withhold not your hand, for the one who fears God shall come out from both of them. — Ecclesiastes 7:15-18

Solomon lays out a tension:
A righteous man suffers, while a wicked man seems to thrive.
And then comes the warning—don’t be “overly righteous,” but also don’t be “overly wicked.”
Is Solomon telling us to live somewhere in the middle? To just be… lukewarm?

Not at all. This isn’t a call to compromise—it’s a call to wisdom. To avoid both self-righteousness and self-centeredness—and instead, fear God. I’ve met believers who try to control life through extreme moral rigidity—thinking perfection will guarantee blessings. I’ve also met people who throw caution to the wind—living recklessly, assuming they have time to fix things later. Both are dangerous.

Legalism crushes the soul.
Lawlessness destroys the body.
But the fear of the Lord? That leads to life.

So, where do you land?

Are you trying to earn your way to God's favor?
Or are you ignoring God altogether, assuming you’ll deal with it later?
The right step forward? Fear God. Walk in wisdom. Trust Him to guide your path.

#WisdomInChrist, #FearOfTheLord, #DailyBibleStudy

ASK THIS:
In what ways have you tried to control life through moral rigidity?
Have you ever assumed you had time to fix things later? How did that work out?
What does it mean to "fear God" in your daily decisions?
How can wisdom help you avoid the extremes of legalism and lawlessness?
DO THIS:
Pause today and ask: Am I leaning toward self-righteousness or self-centeredness? Then, realign your heart to fear God and trust Him fully.

PRAY THIS:
Lord, help me to walk in wisdom, fearing You above all else. Keep me from the traps of both legalism and lawlessness so I may follow You faithfully. Amen.

PLAY THIS:
I Will Fear No More.