Balancing Life’s Demands Part 2

This is a continuation from the previous blog Balancing Life’s Demands. When your life is imbalanced you wear out much quicker. You get tired. What does the Bible have to say about being balanced?
Luke 2:52 we see an example of Jesus Christ. Jesus was the most perfectly balanced person. Jesus Christ grew in these areas. He grew in wisdom. That means He grew intellectually. He grew in stature. That means He grew physically. He grew in favor with God. That means He developed spiritually. He grew in favor with man. That means He developed socially. He was a perfect picture of balanced humanity. Five things we want to highlight.
We’re not going to talk about your career. We’re not going to talk about your family. We’re going to talk about you, your own personal life, because if it gets out of balance, it affects everything else.
1. WE NEED TO HAVE MENTAL BALANCE. Romans 12:2 “Don’t be conformed to this world…” (Phillips translation: “Don’t let the world squeeze you in its mold.”) “… but be transformed by…” Your willpower? No. By working real hard? No. “… be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” What you think about affects your life and you need mental balance. The Bible says “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” We need balance.
How do you have balance? You balance it by screening the things that come into your mind. You maintain balance by choosing what you’re going to think about. Jesus said, John 8:32 When you fill your mind with truth, you will find freedom in your lifestyle. Freedom comes by having the right kind of thoughts. True thoughts. Mental balance.
2. YOU NEED PHYSICAL BALANCE. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 We need physical balance. When we don’t take care of our bodies, it affects everything else. You have to ask yourself: Am I constantly complaining about being tired? “I’m so tired… I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.” There’s a way out. You maintain physical balance.
3. WE NEED TO HAVE SPIRITUAL BALANCE 2 Peter 3:18 You do two things — two ways you grow as a Christian: You grow in grace and you grow in knowledge of Jesus Christ. You have intellectual growth — you know about the content of the Bible. You also grow in grace — that’s character, enjoying God.
4. YOU NEED EMOTIONAL BALANCE Gal. 5:22-23 we have a picture of a perfect emotionally balanced person. Those nine qualities are the qualities of emotional stability. When you’re emotionally stable you’re not blown away by a crisis.
5. YOU NEED SOCIAL BALANCE.
I’m talking about your relationships. You can have everything right in your life and if your relationships are lousy, life stinks. Romans 12:16 “Live in harmony with one another.” I looked up the word “balance” in Webster’s dictionary. It says the definition is this, “When all of the parts are in harmony.” When all of your relationships are in harmony, there is social balance. v. 18 “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everybody.” As far as it depends on you. That’s social balance. I can’t impress on you enough the importance of this balance. Proverbs 14:8 Wise people think about where they’re headed. 14:15 How do you get started in balancing your life?
STEP #1: TAKE INVENTORY Look at your life. Say, “Where am I in balance? Where am I out of balance?” Look at yourself.
Do you remember the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15. The prodigal son went out and spent all of his money, had a good time with wine, women and song, but he ran out of his inheritance and ends up living in a pigsty eating pig food. In Luke 15:17 there’s the turning point in his life. It says this: “He came to his senses.” He said, “What am I doing here? I’m going to go home.”
STEP #2 WRITE DOWN A PLAN OF ACTION
We plan every other area of our lives except our personal life. Balance does not come by accident. You’ve got to work at it. Ephesians 5:15
STEP #3 ESTABLISH CHRIST AT THE CENTER OF YOUR LIFE Put God right in the middle. Just like a wheel has to have a hub, your life has to have something to center on. You will always be out of balance until you get something — one thing — that your life centers on. Matthew 6:33
If your life is falling apart, it’s because Jesus Christ is not at the center to hold all things together. you can have a clean slate and this summer can be the summer that you get your personal life in balance.