Balance

Christmas might very well be the most wonderful time of the year…but it is also the busiest! I know for our ministry, the time between now and Christmas is packed with activity—extra Christmas outreach, special Christmas services, and unique opportunities for ministry. On top of all of that, we have our annual Vision Sunday just two weeks after Christmas.

In the home where I lived as a boy, there was a medicine cabinet that hung on the wall above the sink in the bathroom. That cabinet is where you would find the thermometer and antibiotic cream and other items that relate to health and sickness. In that cabinet were two small bottles that looked very similar.

Leading in ministry is like walking a tightrope. Not only does it require delicate balance, but the stakes are high if we slip. As spiritual leaders, it is our responsibility to walk with balance. Ephesians 5:15 puts it succinctly—“walk circumspectly.” But if we were to get off balance, what would it look like?

Have you noticed that there seems to be less unity in fundamentalism than there used to be? It has often been bemoaned that fundamentalism is fragmenting. We have been cut into “camps,” fragmented into factions, and separated into splinters.

Developing balance is an ongoing pursuit in the life and heart of every spiritual leader. In fact, it’s been a quest in my life and ministry for over thirty years. I definitely have not arrived, but here are a few guidelines that I have tried to practice in balancing my schedule.

Ministry—even good ministry—can be built on a shaky foundation. When Jesus gave the word picture of a house built on the sand or on a rock, He wasn’t only speaking to the Pharisees. He was speaking to you and me. Of course, His promise to those who build their lives on truth is also for you and me.

Worship and music are as essential to each other as worship and preaching. It seems there is always tension between time dedicated to music and time dedicated to preaching. In our world today, preaching is being shoved into a smaller and smaller time constraint while it seems the services are filled with what amounts to little more than an emotional rock concert.

Sometimes during my week I look forward to Friday—that is the day that I try to take off from work. It doesn’t always happen, but when it does I am excited to be home with my family to relax and enjoy them.

I suppose, once upon a time, I thought that having balance in your life was close to perfection. Those who achieved it were those who had organization down to a science and lived it day in and day out.

Time—we take it for granted, yet complain we don’t have enough of it. Today’s society encourages people to work longer so they can earn more and buy more. As a result, our attitude about the value of our family, our church, and our personal walk with God suffer. A balanced . . .

The janitor shares several life-changing principles with the CEO and helps him find proper alignment regarding his values concerning family, the joy of life, and the importance of mentoring others.

As an elementary student, one of my favorite recess activities was to play on the merry-go-round. All the kids would grab one of the iron handles and run for all they were worth. Then, when the merry-go-round was traveling as fast as it could, we would all jump on. If you were sitting close to the outside, you would have to hold on with all your might, because it was easy to get thrown off.