BALANCE! At my dance class on Monday's we talk a lot about balance. We're studying Embodied Prayer as we learn how to use our bodies to glorify God too! So, I think I get it, or at least it's not a hard concept to get, using one's body as well as mind and spirit as God intended them to be used.
But the kind of BALANCE that I'm asking about has more to do with PRIORITIES of how I USE my life. Am I to spend equal time with all 10 grandchildren? Is that balance? Am I to minister in Jackson, the U.S. AND Africa with equal focus? Are my gifts to be "balanced" between mercy and development? or am I to "not muzzle the ox that grinds" thus giving a majority for the support of pastors and missionaries? Is being balanced a goal for my life?
I'm not sure why I keep this blog going. I seldom get too much feedback from you my readers, but as someone told me, I PROCESS life though WORDS. I talk a lot; or in this case, I write a lot.
Yesterday a friend and I were talking about our perception of being a "bit weird" in that being balanced as we think most define it is not a goal of ours. I like John Piper's book Don't Waste Your Life. I try to follow Matthew 28:19-20 pretty seriously. GO and as you go, make disciples in ALL NATIONS.
One exception I find to most people's BALANCE is that giving to their own families seems to be WAY up there on the priority chart. There seems to be a willingness to be UN-balanced when it comes to lavishing time, attention, money and focus on one's own children. Another area I perceive of Un-balance is regarding sports.
I know, I've stepped on a land mine there. "You can only say that, Val, because you're not particularly good at team sports, plus you're not that interested in following sports teams." Maybe they're right. I know I say maybe a lot. MAYBE my writing this will spark some discussion with you, my friends, who read this.
If just a few of you get UN BALANCED enough to focus on one of 19 NEW students EAFC has just accepted from Liberia and Rwanda, then I'd be more confident that balance might be a bit over played on our culture.
What do you think?
There's another topic I'm mulling around in my head that I might write about in a few days. We'll see!
Val, Your ideas or rather questions about balance are food for thought. Family IS one area thats extremely important to me. You seem to have a way of spreading your time around well. We can be too structured, but some structure-routine-in our balance if good. We need to be flexible enough to hear God in balancing our time-don't you think.
ReplyDeleteKeep on being interested in pleasing God while you "balance" use of time.
Love,
Nita