A few years ago during our CCF sharing night, a few brothers shared their views on "balance", To be honest, I don't remember exactly what they said, so I am just summarizing from what I remembered... (it was kinda funny remembering their sharing)
- Brother alpha: Balance is good. It is important because a student is involved in many activities so it is key to know how much time to spend in each.
- Brother beta: Balance is boring, it is like being in equilibrium. Unbalance is good because you are pushed to one direction, to work towards something you are passionate about.
- Brother gamma: Variety is important. You need to invest in different activities to enrich your life.
- Brother lambda: Focus is important. That is the primordial aspect, to focus on what important, and then you will know how to invest your time.
I agree that all these points are valid. But the word "balance" does not sit too well in me, because it can be dangerously applied. Sometimes balance can be interpreted as a state of equilibrium or a "perfect" state without signs of exhaustion or difficulties. Some people can see balance as an equal percentage of time invested in God, ministries, school, family, friends. And I disagree with these.
By summarizing my brothers' opinions, I believe that the proper mindset is to focus on God (Col. 3:1-2) above anything. Never compromise your relationship with God, and if that happens you should take a step back and evaluate your life. As we grow in intimacy with God, we start to understand His will, our minds and visions are aligned, and our heart yearns for what God wants. The Holy Spirit will drive you to pursue what God has stored for you, and you will be challenged to take steps faith to do His will. You also acquire wisdom that will help you discern what it is best in each situation (Phil. 1:9-11).
It is very important to know yourself better, to know your gifts, strengths, and weaknesses. This will allow you to set your priorities accordingly and determine how much you can handle so that you won't do too little or too much. Don't be afraid to push yourself to the limit if God tells you, because He provides and His grace is sufficient (2 Cor. 12:9). At the same time, rest assured that God will not give you more than you can handle.
It is important to spend time in reflection in a constant basis. As humans, we are prone to make mistakes, and our focus can shift, so it is important to calibrate our minds :)
To conclude, I think Christian life is not about balance, but about the right focus on God. He will guide you and give you wisdom so that you can discern what is best. Remember, God works for our good (Rom. 8:28).
2 comments:
I remember this sharing and the "brothers" haha.
I agree, focus first, but there is need for balance alongside that.
I just read this in Francis Chan's book Forgotten God.
"Some of you would like it if I said we were going to find a healthy balance between unhealthy extremes. That's not what we're going to do. When we are referring to God, balance is a huge mistake. God is not just one thing we add to the mix called life. He wants an invitation from us to permeate everything and every part of us."
- Francis Chan (Forgotten God, pp.20)
Post a Comment