Balance in Life

We hear a lot these days about living a balanced life. Work/home life balance. A balanced diet. Balance in our spending. Balancing of budgets. Balancing the multiple demands of our busy lives. 

Balance is important for health. It brings a sense of peace, whereas imbalance, (for example, extremes) brings feelings of chaos. Solomon,the wisest man ever (see 1 Kings 4:29-34) said this, in Ecclesiastes 7:16-18: “Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise- why destroy yourself? Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool-why die before your time? It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. The man who fears God will avoid all extremes.” 

To be “overrighteous” is to put too much faith in our good deeds or religious acts. It is to be self-righteous, counting on ourselves instead of honoring and glorifying God. The “overwicked” part of course, speaks to immoral acts. 

 We, as fallen beings,tend to gravitate toward extremes. The “flavor” of extremes may differ and some may be more socially acceptable than others, but let’s be honest: we all struggle with extremes in some fashion. Balance is offered to us by God and truly is His design for our lives. Extremes pull our focus off of God and fixate on us. 

When it comes to our walk with God, balance is of utmost importance. Jesus lead a very balanced life,  seeking God first and serving others. Fortunately, God gives us so many ways to strike a balance and learn and grow in our knowledge of Him! We learn by God’s truth. We live in an age where we could listen to multiple sermons a day if we wanted to. We live in a country where we can read our Bibles openly without fear of persecution. Prayer is another way to grow. Life groups help us to grow in community as we discuss what God is teaching us. We can take prayer walks, talking to God as we get fresh air and exercise.  

Generally speaking, do you live a life of balance and stability? Or is “chaos” a word that better describes your daily life? Spend some time in prayer this week and ask God to help you in living a life that is balanced, growing in Him, seeking first His kingdom.