29 March, 2024

Balance

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by | 31 January, 2010 | 0 comments

By Tom Ellsworth

 

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

 

 

Six days out of seven they hurried off to work. Toting their specialized tools and equipment, the men were visibly energized by their careers. They always left before dawn and never returned until the last rays of the sun had sleepily disappeared behind the surrounding hills.

There were seven in all””men who were totally preoccupied with their jobs. Rumor has it they even whistled while they worked!

Then tragedy struck. Late one afternoon when the men were still at work (where else!) the lady of the house was poisoned by a beauty-challenged, jealous neighbor. The men were stunned; they never saw this coming.

The whistling stopped. Work no longer mattered. If only they had been more balanced in their lives, Miss White might not have been stricken with royal encephalitis.

OK, perhaps Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a stretch, but the need for balance in our lives is no fairy tale.

While no one in the real world lives “happily ever after,” we can live much more happily with a balanced approach to life. For instance, your body will definitely let you know when it is unbalanced.

I rediscovered that truth on a short-term house building mission trip to Mexico. All workers were warned of the dangers of dehydration in the hot sun. Every few minutes supervisors encouraged us to drink more water, so I did. I didn”t particularly feel parched, but who was I to question those who worked in this intense heat all the time?

By late afternoon I was sick to my stomach””not from dehydration but from too much water! My body was out of balance and it let me know in a most unpleasant way. In the days that followed I trusted my body to “tell me” when it needed fluids and I had no more problems. I like what Dr. Richard Swenson wrote,

 

 

Veritable factories that never shut down, our bodies exhibit a complexity beyond human comprehension. We each are made up of trillions upon trillions of working units, all perpetually moving, metabolizing, combining, interacting, adjusting, purifying, purging, building, and decaying. Yet everything must function in balance. If this balance is disturbed, disease is the result. We get sick. We feel pain.1

 

 

Most people I know want to avoid physical pain at all cost, so keeping the body in balance is a priority. Unfortunately, physical stability isn”t our greatest challenge. We must also learn to balance work, marriage, parental responsibilities, social commitments, community involvement, leisure activities, and personal restoration.

Such a balance faces several formidable foes.

 

Career Advancement

Early in their careers many are consumed with climbing the proverbial corporate ladder. Men especially draw much of their self-worth from their labor. The more time and energy we invest, the better we feel about ourselves. Getting to the top becomes our driving force and overriding motivation.

However, when we put our career in overdrive and leave balance in the dust, we set ourselves up for a huge disappointment. When personal health, family needs, and spiritual commitments are neglected in the process, arriving at the top alone and sickly is a hollow victory. Reaching the top of that ladder won”t mean much if the rest of your life is in shambles.

Set realistic career goals. Move up at a pace that keeps your career as only one of several balanced priorities. Remember, no job can take the place of a valued relationship. The important people in your life will still be there when that all-consuming job is nothing but a distant memory.

Material Acumulation

The quest for “things” often robs us of the more important values of a balanced life. The American Revolutionaries were greatly influenced by the writings of 17th-century English philosopher John Locke, who coined the phrase, “life, liberty, and property.” Thomas Jefferson tweaked that ideal and immortalized it in the Declaration of Independence as, “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

I like Jefferson”s version better. Our 21st-century thirst for property or things often robs us of genuine satisfaction. Remember, contentment follows attainment only in the dictionary.

I heard this bit of wisdom a long time ago and it has proven true time and again: “Some love people and use things; others love things and use people. Only one course leads to contentment.” Contentment comes after we give, not after we get. The apostle Paul reminded his Philippian readers that he had discovered the secret of contentment in every circumstance””the ability to handle anything in life through the strength of Christ.

Overscheduled Calendar

A daily planning calendar is a valuable tool, but for too many of us it is frightfully unbalanced. Whether you use a pencil, stylus, or keyboard to record your daily commitments, it is likely your life is dictated by a highly scheduled calendar.

Our lives are overbooked! For many a 40-hour workweek would seem like a vacation. But that”s not all. Husbands and wives, like ships passing in the night, cart kids from one activity to another. Add to work and family schedules an active social agenda and you will push the pressure valve needle far past the red line.

Please remember you cannot do everything, so wisely choose what is most valuable for your family, friends, career, and most of all, your relationship with the Lord. You don”t have to keep up with anyone, even if his name is Jones. Schedule some R & R for you and your family. Restore the balance; your body, mind and soul will be grateful you did.

Jesus was busy; often starting early and finishing late. He took time to challenge the multitudes, comfort the outcasts, chastise the hypocrites, and counsel the disciples. Emotionally, he experienced the drain of compassionate deeds, the joy of finding genuine faith, and the heartbreak of spiritual rejection. Through it all, Jesus never confused his priorities or neglected his time with the Father. He was busy, but more important, he was balanced!

On those days when your life feels anything but balanced, take a few minutes and reread Matthew 14:1-36, or Mark 1:35-39, or Luke 8:22-56, or John 4:1-42. Learn from the Master.

When we wrestle with advancing careers, accumulated stuff, and crowded calendars, it”s no wonder our unbalanced lives are exhausted. And in that exhausted state, those around us will quickly pick up on the fact that we have become sleepy, bashful, sneezy, grumpy, or just a bit dopey.

Even worse, if you aren”t careful, these foes of a balanced life will slip you a poison apple and keep you from living happily ever after. Take a look in the mirror on the wall; if you don”t see Christ reflected there, you have soul-searching to do. And who knows, when balance returns to your daily routines, you, too, may whistle while you work!

________

1Richard A. Swenson, Margin (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 1992), 215.

 


 

Tom Ellsworth is senior minister with Sherwood Oaks Christian Church, Bloomington, Indiana.

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