Balance
What are some things you noticed about your life when you tried to graphically describe how much time and energy you devote to each important area of your life? Did you discover why one area of your life is developed and another area is underdeveloped?
“As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.” (Ephesians 4:16b NLT)
God cares about each part of your life. In fact, God has enabled you to already develop and mature in some important areas of your life. He’s also allowed you to have weaknesses and underdeveloped areas in your life to allow room for you to grow, develop, depend on Him, and to depend on others in your life. The stronger, more developed parts of your life highlight strengths you have to offer the people around you. Your underdeveloped parts represent places where you may grow from the strengths and experiences of those around you. God designed us to live in community and to grow together in community. The Bible describes it this way:
There’s no such thing as a perfectly balanced life. If we think we are balanced then we are probably about to pay too much attention to one area of our lives while neglecting something of equal value. But if we desire to grow where we are underdeveloped, we must attack our lacks and invest less time and energy in areas where we are already confident. We’ll probably also need a few people in our lives who help us develop in ways that we cannot develop on our own. One of the best ways to get started is to ask someone for help. God usually surrounds us with people who will help us to identify our imbalance if we’ll listen, and people who will help us take the next step to grow if we’ll let them help us.
“Health Talks” are designed to help us learn to talk and deal with one another in ways that build understanding and a healthy, growing, supportive, Christian community.
What comes to your mind when you hear the word “balance?” Some of you may imagine an Olympic gymnast dazzling an international crowd by doing flips on the balance beam. Some may think of a parent who tries to balance the responsibilities of working, providing for family, spending quality and quantity time with each family member while maintaining involvement in community, church, and still getting proper exercise and rest. Some may quickly think about the challenge of balancing work, family, school, friends, and hobbies. Some may immediately think about all the bills that need to be paid at the same time. Keeping our lives in good balance sometimes feels like trying to juggle one too many balls without dropping them.
If you imagine your life as a large pie cut up in pieces that represent your life, each piece representing how much you invest in the various important components making up your life, what would your life look like? Go ahead and draw a pie showing your life and how much you devote to:
• Academic/Intellectual?
• Exercise/Physical health?
• Social/Friendships?
• Spiritual life?
• Work/Career?
• Family?
• Emotional outlets?
• Resting, leisure, TV, computer, video games?
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