Balance is a popular word in January and an idea worthy of thoughtful consideration.
Honest reflection and self-awareness around all areas of my life and their relationship to one another, as well as disciplined intentionality towards change, are truly worthwhile endeavors. These are marks of spiritual maturity for Christians, and I think, at least part of what Paul may have had in mind when he encouraged Timothy to “keep watch on yourself…”
In all honesty, though, “balance”, as a goal, makes me uneasy. I’ve been wondering if balance is a more complex and nuanced reality than the cultural definition seems to, at times, demand. If the goal of a “balanced life” is for various categories to always be in a commensurate proportion to one another, in a way that feels manageable and neatly progressive, I wonder if we may be operating outside of reality and settling for a paradigm that isn’t necessarily a Christian one. I don’t see an admonition in Scripture to live a “balanced” life, by this definition. It also doesn’t seem that Jesus’ life, or those of any of the disciples, for that matter, could reasonably be described as “balanced”. And, perhaps most sobering, much of the world spends their days trying to merely survive. Encouraging a more balanced life would be ridiculous in many contexts, both today and through all of human history.
For those of us who, by God’s grace, are able to do more than just survive, it seems wise to consider how we are stewarding that privilege and the lives God has given us. Simply put, if we’re living in “survival mode”, but don’t have to be, what’s going on? I’ve been wondering if there might be more helpful questions around this idea of balance, that don’t dismiss the idea entirely, but allow us to look at it through a Biblical and realistic lens. Here are a couple that I’m finding helpful.
What might God’s invitation be to me in this particular season?
The writer of Ecclesiastes beautifully described the importance of seasons as well as differentiating between them. The truth is that every day of this year won’t look the same or need the same kind of intentionality or focus, and that is by God’s design. Seasonally, in much of the world, February and August look and feel pretty different. And depending on what’s happening in my life, June and July might have similar weather but wildly different circumstances. There will likely be days when certain priorities or relationships need more from me, in a way that may not appear all that balanced. There may be areas that I necessarily need to set aside for a while in order to give appropriate attention to another. If my only categories are narrowly defined responsibility or negligence, I might be living out of touch with my real everyday life. If “balance” is the goal, I might actually miss the specific obedience that God is leading me towards or the unique gifts that He’s sending my way.
God has set the boundary lines of my life in place, as well as eternity in my heart, and is holding all things together. There’s a lot of beauty in the diversity within our particular lives and callings that don’t always fit into a cookie-cutter definition, or make sense from an upwardly mobile perspective. For those living in a prolonged season of personal crisis or great difficulty, expecting balance, according to the world’s standards, might be an impossible task. Or, if there’s an area that I’ve been neglecting, repentance might require spending a lot of time and energy toward turning that ship around. God is always inviting us to more of Himself, and while Jesus told us that we would have trouble in this world, He also said that His commands are not burdensome. Asking God what He might be inviting me to in this specific season seems to be a way that I can cooperate with the particular and deeply personal grace He is always extending to me.
Perhaps, too, this allows me to look at balance with the long view in mind, over the course of my entire life versus in the snapshot of a day or a week. A seemingly out-of-balance month might make perfect sense in the overall trajectory of a year a decade or an entire surrendered life.
What might abiding look like for me?
I have found Jesus’ word picture of the vine and the branches in John 15 to be incredibly freeing and encouraging, and specifically helpful when considering a balanced life. The primary task at hand for me, as a follower of Jesus, is to stay connected and close to Him. When I do that, His life flows through me and good things grow and I don’t have to manage the results. In the same way, I wonder if balance is best approached as a result rather than a goal, as well as an outcome that contains more than a little mystery. Rather than focusing on balance, it’s been helpful to take a careful look at what actually helps me abide, as well as what distracts or prevents me from it. Are there specific spiritual disciplines that I might want to consider or reconsider? Habits around rest and attention that I want to cultivate? Can I consider abiding with some creativity and flexibility as opposed to just doing what feels expected or has worked before? For what does my soul seem to be longing? What do I need in order to just stay close and leave the outcomes up to Him?
Maybe my life doesn’t need to look balanced, predictable, or outwardly successful in order to be full of purpose and vitality. Maybe God is bigger and more creative than an overly narrow definition of balance allows. And perhaps a new year is the perfect time to throw out that definition in favor of one that is more free and truly abundant. Here’s to a life that might look messy, imbalanced, and unpredictable, but leans into God’s invitation to Himself through every season, challenge, and adventure.
