There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens. (Ecclesiastes 3:1, NIV)
What is it that you love to practice? Golfers typically practice what they’re good at, especially when time is limited.
And yet, play this game for a little while, and it becomes painfully apparent that it takes a certain level of competence in each area of the game to reach any level of success. One can’t simply hit drivers all day. Or never leave the putting green. Or spend all our time desperately trying to avoid bunkers.
It takes a well-balanced game to enjoy long-term success. And the same can be said in life. Do we frequently assess the various dimensions of our lives as often as we are found evaluating our golf games?
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If one area is being neglected, it can bring down the whole house in a flash. How often has a cold putter sent shivers through the rest of your bag?
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In Ecclesiastes 3, Solomon speaks to God’s plan for all of us and His perfect timing. Everything in this passage represents the ebb and flow of life—the balanced life. There’s a time to tear down and a time to build; a time to plant and uproot.
How balanced is your life regarding your physical, mental, social, and spiritual lives? Is work taking priority over family? Is golf encroaching on work? Are the kids getting the attention they need? Are the pursuits of pleasure overtaking times set apart for Sunday worship?
If one area is being neglected, it can bring down the whole house in a flash. How often has a cold putter sent shivers through the rest of your bag?
And it can change month to month, just like our golf games. One month, you can’t miss a fairway. The following month, a two-way miss baffles the mind and discourages the heart.
One month you’re soaring at work but neglecting relationships at home. Achieving balance takes consistent and honest self-evaluation, and it’s the only way to be as effective as possible for Kingdom work.
Here’s the excellent news: We know where to find the strength to stand firm when one area is under attack!
“May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” (2 Thess. 2:16-17)
PRAYER: Father God, thank you for giving us all the tools we need to live a balanced life.