Finding Balance in Life

Did you ever find it difficult to achieve true balance in your life? So many things to do and only 24 hours in a day! Where do you start? How do you prioritize the things that are most important and should be at the top of your list? I sometimes find myself starting a project with good intentions and before I can finish that one task, I have started four other projects which are going at the same time.

How do you find and maintain a balance which encompasses relationships, family, work, home and personal time? Does something have to suffer when you are spending more time on work or your home? Is it possible to create a healthy well-balanced life with the proper emphasis on each of the five areas mentioned previously?

Perhaps you have heard of Solomon. He was a wise king in the biblical Old Testament. We could spend an entire blog writing about Solomon and his father David but most of you will remember Solomon for the story about the two women who were arguing over a child. When Solomon decided that the child should be cut in two, the real mother withdrew her claim to the child and that is how Solomon knew which of the women was the child's actual mother. In any case, we will be able to agree that Solomon was a wise man.

Psalm 127 is attributed to Solomon, already noted for his wisdom. In verse 1 of that psalm, Solomon writes "Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain." [Psalm 127:1] The first step to achieve balance in life is to get focused. If you find yourself lacking focus and direction for your life, consider the wisdom of Solomon. What does that mean for you?

True Christians will recognize that life balance comes only from a life centered in Jesus Christ. No that doesn't mean setting aside an hour a week to attend a worship service or if you attend a Bible study, two hours a week. I know too many "good Christian people" who aside from their "holier than thou" moments are hardly living a life centered in Christ. Their lives are filled with one drama and crisis after another because they lack true focus and meaning in life. Rather than leading well-balanced lives, they live in the moment of whatever arena they find themselves. Unfortunately, it often means that they seek to draw others into their lopsided world.

No one ever said finding balance in life would be easy. There is no instruction book and it isn't possible to apply a levelling tool to our lives to make an adjustment here and there. Jesus once described Himself as "the Way, the Truth and the Life." He's the real thing. If you're looking for balance in your life, perhaps it is time to get focused.

~ DB Turnmire