We live in a world of instant gratification. Press a button and the TV comes on. With our smart phones we are never far away from anything we want or need to know. Yet so many people are more dissatisfied, discouraged and distraught than ever before. Why?
Gandhi is quoted as saying "There is more to life than increasing speed." Is it possible that we have been increasing our speed, allowing us to cram so much more into a day that our mind and body just get caught up in the keep up mode? Have we become stuck in this rotation of life, the rush that happens from pre-sunrise to well past sun set? Have we fooled ourselves into thinking that this is what life is all about?
Psalm 127:2 It is useless to work so hard for a living, getting up early and going to bed late. For the Lord provides for those he loves, while they are asleep.
I know we all have to work, in fact there is a verse in Proverbs that speaks of idle hands being the work of evil. But the Lord doesn't want us to be so unbalanced that we do not enjoy life, that we have no time to spend with Him and the ones we love. Balance in life may seem like an elusive thing to us, but it can be attained. However there is no magic formula that you can follow, I can't spell out how to do that for you. Everyone is different with different values. The first thing to visualize is what balance looks like to you. Clarify your vision for a balanced life by starting with the things in your life that you truly value and everything that arises from them. Discard the not so important things or things that hinder you reaching your goals. Remember that what may seem as balanced to you now may not be the same in a new season of your life, so evaluate in each new season.
Proverbs 11:1 A false balance and unrighteous dealings are extremely offensive and shamefully sinful to the Lord, but a just weight is His delight.
Jesus was an expert at balancing life; in the middle of doing miracles and preaching, he stops to take a rest though there was much work to be done. Following his example for rest should help us in creating a balanced life for ourselves.
Mark 6:31 There were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his disciples didn't even have time to eat. So he said to them, “Let us go off by ourselves to some place where we will be alone and you can rest a while.”
So if you find yourself in a place like I have been and feel like you're stuck in life's rotation, the spinning wheel that you can't seem to get off of, it may be time to rethink what is valued most in your life; schedule some time for you in the day. Pray, trust God to help you find that balance that you long for. Because life is for living joyfully.
