Saturday, August 4, 2012

Balance Is Not The Answer

By Bruce Witt

A young man of 29 was sharing with me his frustration of attempting to grow spiritually and be fruitful in his walk with Lord, be God’s man in the marketplace, and deepen his relationship with a young girl. “I see my selfishness and prideful attitudes. I am struggling! I try to spend time with the Lord and I pack my schedule extremely full to be as productive as possible. I know I am out of balance. How do I get back to being balanced?”

I shared with him that being out of balance is a good diagnostic tool – we almost always can recognize when things are spinning out of control and our gyroscope begins to wobble. Yet the answer is never balance!

Trying to achieve balance is usually me seeking to maintain control. We don’t double down and do more of the right things (spiritual disciplines) and less of the bad (flesh, pride, etc.). This may provide temporary relief, yet will never get us back to balance. Balance is the overflow of an integrated life.

If balance is the solution, I will invariably compartmentalize my life and put Christ in a box, work in a box, relationships in a box and so on. There is never enough time or margin to achieve success with this approach. Life and this balance are not about doing more.

Only when Christ is my life and He is integrated into every one of my daily activities that I sense balance. Christ as life is experienced when I receive His love and affection and don’t try to achieve this intimate relationship by more disciplines or doing more ministry. I know my identity is found in Christ alone and not in my accomplishments or my image. His indwelling life is the source of my spiritual life, wisdom, and power.

Christ as life is my anchor and foundation so when life’s storms hit or becomes too full, I don’t go tilt or sense I am out of balance. I recognize that I am out of control fully realizing I never was in control, only He is. When Christ as life is incorporated into every aspect of my life (abiding in Him) I bear much fruit and I “feel” balanced. We don’t bear fruit on our own, it is a by-product of abiding with Him. Balance is not an answer to be achieved, it is a by-product of Christ being my life.

John 15:5 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."

About the Author
Bruce is the Director of Leadership WORKS, a division of Reflections Ministries. He has a passion and heart to equip and develop leaders in Business and Ministry to leaders of Faith. Leadership WORKS begins with the truth that Jesus Christ is the only leader and that it is He who lives and leads through a person. Jesus also taught his disciples, "I do not speak on my own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His work" (John 14:10). Jesus did not speak or lead on His own, His way of leadership was His Father abiding in Him to provide the spiritual resources to do the work.

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