Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint (Proverbs 23:4).

I love that phrase:  "Have the wisdom to show restraint."  I need that kind of wisdom in a big way.  Not so much, honestly, when it comes to getting rich -- though it's certainly good to be reminded of that from time to time, too -- but the wisdom to show restraint has many other applications beyond the financial sector.

I need the wisdom to show restraint, for instance, when it comes to food consumption -- especially with American food.  When I go to the United States, I typically put on weight at a rather alarming rate.  I just love the cheeseburgers and fries and malted milkshakes and philly cheesesteaks and pizzas and root beers and cookie monsters... I could go on and on!  But that's just the problem, actually.  When I'm back in the USA, I just go on and on in consuming my favorite foods (based on the logic that I'm in my homeland so infrequently).  And when I go on and on, I get fatter and fatter!  What I need, of course, is the wisdom to show restraint.  If I keep that in mind, I can tell myself:  "Yes, I could eat that ice cream right now, but that doesn't mean that I have to eat it.  Honestly, I'm plenty full right now, so I think I'll just pass on it."  It's simple to the point of absurdity -- but that's exactly what I need in those situations.  It's the wisdom to show restraint.

But this is just one example of a situation (beyond the financial sector) which requires the wisdom to show restraint!  I believe the same kind of wisdom is needed in other circumstances as well:  in child-rearing, in replying to incindiary e-mails, in spending patterns, in alcohol consumption, in relational conflicts, in writing... I could go on and on!  But I won't.  I'll have the wisdom to show restraint instead.