Balanced Spiritually: The Lie You Might Believe About Balance
This morning, snowflakes waltzed on the trodden lawn like tufts of cotton grass bobbing on a summer morning. I’d been thinking about the importance of being balanced spiritually, and that balance felt lacking.
Life has felt ridiculously out of balance this winter.
A weekly routine once filled with dozens of gratifying and varied tasks has been replaced by what feels like one all-consuming task that drains me of every ounce of energy.
It feels as if the twenty equally filled buckets of my life are suddenly empty, and I’m called to pour my life into one prevailing, overflowing bucket that dominates the realm of my daily existence.
Today, we’ll have an honest conversation about what it means to be balanced spiritually. I also invite you to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you draw near to God for peace even when life feels out of balance.
How to Be Balanced Spiritually
Maybe you’ve been here. Maybe you’ve worked and worried about being balanced spiritually.
Despite your best efforts, half of your buckets are empty while very few are filled to the brim, wearing you out as you try to carry them from one place to the next.
You can’t figure out why God would ask you to put all your energy into this one overflowing bucket.
Not long ago, a mentor reminded me that spiritual balance isn’t having twenty buckets, each filled equally.
Spiritual balance is having twenty buckets, some filled to overflowing for a season and others very low and sitting in the background for a season. The key is to follow God by pouring into the buckets he is calling you to fill in this season.
Balance is having twenty buckets, some filled to overflowing for a season and others very low and sitting in the background for a season. #balanceinlife #balance #encounteringGod Share on XRedefining What It Means to Be Balanced Spiritually
It is a rare season when the buckets are each filled equally. Meanwhile, balance has little to do with the fullness of the buckets and everything to do with following the One who calls you to pour into them.
As I stood on this truth this morning, I was given the freedom to set aside the buckets that had brought a sense of fulfillment and even importance in past seasons. What I found was no easy road ahead of me, but there was a rich sense of purpose as I committed to keep pouring into that one prominent bucket.
Here are several truths to stand on if you don’t feel balanced spiritually or are struggling with the importance of balance in life today:
1. Jesus did not promise or model a perfectly balanced life.
Jesus did not live a life of perfect balance.
He often prayed all night.
At times, he radically invested in certain groups of people. He poured tremendous amounts of energy into his 12 closest friends and also poured himself out on behalf of others.
He showed us that following God often includes stepping beyond our comfort zones and giving our whole hearts to specific callings. We are called to follow his example by living lives in which we seek first his kingdom, and all others things follow (Mt. 6:33).
2. Priorities will shift as the seasons of your life change.
Let’s return to the image of the buckets in your life.
The buckets that overflowed when you were single and pursuing your new career will likely be very different from the buckets that overflow when you start a family. Your priorities will change with the seasons of life, and so will your idea of balance.
The key is to embrace the changing seasons, not fighting to stay in a season God has called you to leave.
3. There are times for giving all to a certain cause.
We all face times when one priority requires what feels like all of our energy and attention.
While we need to be sure our priorities align with God’s plans for our lives (which always put loving God and loving others at the top of the list), there are times when we are called to give most of our energy to certain causes: raising children, caring for elder relatives, investing in our marriages, pouring into our careers, launching new ministries, and even caring for our bodies.
4. Spiritual balance is defined by the One you follow, not the load you carry.
When we learn to stay in step with the Spirit, he promises to help carry the load (see Matthew 11:28-30). When we walk in step with him, his side of the yoke enables us to press on, even when life feels entirely out of balance.
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As you consider the importance of a balanced life, I encourage you to let God be God. Let him determine which buckets will be full for this season. A balanced life has little to do with pouring out evenly in the many realms of your life; it has everything to do with pouring out in the places where God has led you.
Calling All Parents and Grandparents!
As the parent of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God. Our kids, ages 6, 11, and 15, share this vision. They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or older relatives to read with the children and teens they love. You can find all three books here or read more below.
Attention All Boy Moms (and Dads)!
God’s Warrior: Devotions for Boys Who Want to Grow in Courage and Strength helps young boys, ages 5-13, learn what it means to trust God and become strong warriors for his kingdom. Now, more than ever, our world needs men who are willing to boldly carry God’s love into the world. I wrote this boys’ devotional book with our two young sons, Aiden and Caleb, ages six and eleven! You’ll enjoy their honesty as we teach boys how to be strong warriors for the Lord. Find this life-changing devotional book here.
Mother-Daughter Devotionals by a Mom and Daughter
Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section for moms and daughters after each devotion. I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven. Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. Bekah and I will help you right here.
Find Our Family Devotionals Here
Find all three books right here. They are also free on the Kindle Unlimited plan, which you can enjoy with a free three-month trial! These books make great gifts, and you don’t need to be the parent of young children to read them. Share them with your grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or the young ones you love.
Learn Why Willpower Doesn’t Work and Experience God’s Deliverance and Healing
God wants to work in your life to accomplish what you’ve been unable to do through willpower alone. Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free shares practical ways to experience God’s freedom, healing, power, and presence in your life. Find this life-changing book as a free eBook on Kindle Unlimited or for 12.99 in print right here. (If you do not have Kindle Unlimited, you can try it out with a free three-month trial!) This book will transform your life and revitalize your relationship with the Lord!
A Free Devotional to Help You Connect With God
God is a good Father, and he wants us to experience his healing, deliverance, and replenishment. Most of us have learned that we cannot heal, deliver, or refresh ourselves; we need God to do this work within us. I invite you to create space for God to transform your life by downloading a free copy of my devotional eBook, The Lean Into Grace Devotional: An 8-Day Devotional for Healing, Deliverance, and Replenishment. Find it for free here. I also offer a library of free online devotional eBooks for free. I invite you to explore the collection right here! 
