5 Reasons to Stop Seeking a “Balanced” Life
Do you feel frustrated by the lack of balance in your life? Most of us have had this experience. Let’s talk about why the idea of a “balanced life” might not be God’s plan for us.
5 Reasons to Stop Seeking a Balanced Life
Recently, I went for a walk with a friend who was visiting from out of town. She had been serving the least of these in the far corners of the earth, and I had been chasing down the elusive ideal of a balanced life while mothering and writing.
She asked how I was doing, and I told her I was feeling a little out of balance.
Life had been stripped to bare necessities throughout the past year. I’d stepped away from many areas of community involvement to pursue a primary calling of raising two little ones.
Most days, I felt like all I’d done was prepare food, shove it into tiny mouths, clean it off the floor, and start the process all over again.
The days of deep reflection about God and life were long gone. My years of traveling the world with a backpack and writing pages and pages of thoughtful prose and poetry were history.
Her Words About a Balanced Life Changed Everything
That’s when she said it.
She said it gently and sweetly, but her words cut to my soul.
Her words went something like this: “I sometimes think we’re too caught up in seeking ‘balance.’ I mean, really, is this what Jesus calls us to seek? I don’t see it anywhere in Scripture. It makes me think life is meant to be fully poured out in ordinary tasks in some seasons, fully poured out in outward global ministry in other seasons, and quiet and reflective in other seasons.”
I knew she was right.
Jesus doesn’t call us to lives of perfect balance. His time on earth certainly didn’t depict a life of balance.
Jesus doesn’t call us to lives of perfect balance. While he calls us to remain connected to him in an abiding sort of way, his life certainly didn't depict a life of balance. #balancedlife Share on XHe gave himself entirely for the sake of others and often stayed up all night to pray.
He fed multitudes and healed the hurting when he was exhausted.
Our Lord also slipped away to quiet places to commune with his Father. He received the hospitality of good friends and good food. He lived without hurry, and he knew how to rest.
The Truth about a Balanced Life
In the years since that conversation with my friend, I’ve searched the Scriptures for truth about balance, and it’s clear she was right. We’re called to live in a way that might not look very balanced at all. Let’s take a closer look:
1. Everything should be out of balance compared to knowing Christ.
According to Philippians 3:10, we are to count absolutely everything in our lives garbage compared to one thing: knowing Jesus. Nothing about this admonition is balanced.
We come to know Jesus experientially as we follow him and step out in faith. We come to know him when we set aside time to dig deeply into his written Word, commune with him in prayer, and practice the disciplines of silence and solitude.
There are all sorts of ways to draw close to Jesus. We come to know him through community, sharing in his suffering, and joining him on mission. According to Paul’s words in Philippians, we’re not called to lives of balance, we’re called to lives of devotion.
2. We need to realize that balance and comfort are not the same ideals.
When I spoke of balance with my friend, I think what I really meant was that my life felt too poured out and not as comfortable as I wanted it to look.
We are called to seasons of rest and seasons of giving.
The simple reality of life is that there will be seasons of being utterly poured out.
There will be seasons of rest, and we honor God when we take care of our bodies. But there are times when we just can’t help the fact that we’re in a stage of extensive giving. We train and discipline our bodies for multiple reasons, and the ultimate goal is transformation to the likeness of Christ.
The apostle Paul said it like this: “I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified” (1 Corinthians 9:27).
3. When pursuing a balanced life, it’s easy to overlook Jesus’ promise about trouble.
When difficult seasons come, it’s tempting to question what we’re doing wrong to deserve a time of hardship.
It’s tempting to ask questions about which part of life is out of balance. We are wise to ask these questions and assess our lives. However, if we cannot identify any areas of disobedience, we can remind ourselves that trials often come simply because we live in a broken world.
Jesus said, “In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
Trouble doesn’t mean your life is out of balance. Trouble is often the result of living in a broken world.
4. We aren’t called to balanced lives; we are called to lose our lives.
Jesus draws a hard line when he speaks these words: “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 16:25).
Losing one’s life denotes putting other first, seeking God first, and giving away what matters most in every area of our lives. These words speak nothing of balance.
5. We are to seek God first, and everything else should be out of balance in comparison.
We are called to live lives that are out of balance, lives committed to seeking first God and his kingdom (Matthew 6:33).
Seeking God first will ultimately result in an out-of-balance life.
We’ll be misunderstood. We’ll be called to give until we can give no more.
There will be times of hard, unseen service that feels overlooked.
Life most likely won’t be spent sitting poolside at the yacht club every day for eighty-plus years of our lives. When we commit to seek God’s kingdom first, we are committing to out-of-balance lives.
Your Ultimate Goal:
Since the day I went walking with my friend, seasons have changed in my life. There are minutes for doing more than feeding young children, but this doesn’t mean life always feels balanced.
I feel stretched too thin in some seasons, and I feel far too house-bound in others. I catch myself over-committing. Spiritual dryness sets in. I leave too much margin room. And I rarely get it all just right.
But I’m learning to be okay with it.
I’m learning that there’s room for growth on this learning curve, and a balanced life is not my ultimate goal.
Loving God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength is my ultimate goal, and there’s often very little about this that’s balanced at all.
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