Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Finding Balance Part 3

Submitted by David Miller
Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ. 2 Thessalonians 3:5
We have been talking about finding balance in our lives for the last couple of days.  We all know the difficulty in doing so, between jobs, kids, mother in laws, sports, church, house cleaning, lawn care, etc. it can be difficult.  A good balance in your life with the extracurricular activities and the responsibilities is vital.  But what about balance in your spiritual life?
Jesus said the first and greatest commandment is, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind" Matthew 22:37. Mark's Gospel adds the word "strength" to this statement (see Mark 12:30).
To break it down, some people love God with all of their minds, but there is no heart in it. They love to study. They love to be theologically correct. But there is no passion in their lives. On the other hand, some people love God with all of their heart and their passion and their emotion, but they haven't disciplined themselves to study the Bible or to grow in their faith. Thus, they are easily led astray because their faith has not taken root in their hearts.  The reality is that we need all these things in play to love God as we ought to love Him.
I have known people who are sticklers for correct doctrine, yet many of them are miserable, mean, arrogant, and condemning. They will take the truth and use it like a sledgehammer in the life of another person. I also know people who are very active and are perceptually busy for God, but their service for Him seems to be lacking in depth and commitment.  Their enthusiasm wanes and they fizzle out. 
Usually we think of a balanced life in terms of how much time we have (or don’t have!) for fun, relaxation, or how we can juggle our crazy long to-do lists. But what if we thought of a balanced life in terms of how effective we are in serving God in all the ways He calls us? Are we putting “first things first” or are we doing life all backwards and then wondering why it feels out of balance?  Matthew 6:33 “Seek first his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

If we can learn to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, then our lives will find the elusive balance we all long for.  

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