Jesus, therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. (John 4:6 NKJV)
There’s a lot of talk these days about work-life balance, especially among younger people. But I have a sneaking suspicion that work-life balance is a myth, an unrealistic, unachievable goal and that by continuing to tout balance, we are giving people a Sisyphean task that will only leave them more frustrated and unfulfilled.
The first problem with work-life balance is a practical one. The idea of work-life balance presupposes that work and life come at us in nice, even, predictable waves.
If you are a professional, executive, or anyone else without a 9-5 job, I doubt that is true of your work. Similarly, if you are married, have children, or have an active social or church life, I doubt that is true of your non-work life.
The other problem with work-life balance is Biblical: I don’t see Jesus modeling it in the Gospels. Instead, I see Jesus praying all night on a mountain and then coming down and launching into ministry and a lengthy sermon to the multitudes. (Luke 6:12-49).
Or, I see Jesus walking from Judea through Samaria and, though exhausted from the walk, taking time to minister to the woman at the well. (John 4:1-28).
In Jesus, I don’t see balance; I see engagement. Wherever He was, He was fully engaged with the people or task before Him—so much so that in a crowd pressing in on Him, He could distinguish the touch of one who touched Him in faith (Mark 5:24-34).
When Jesus said, “ The Son can do nothing of Himself unless it is something He sees the Father doing” (John 5:19), He used present tense verbs, describing an unceasing attentiveness to the Father. Jesus’ perfect conformity to the will of the Father did not produce balance in His life but engagement.
Golf psychologist Bob Rotella captures this concept of being fully engaged with his mantra, “The most important shot in golf is the next one.” This is more than forgetting the last shot or the last three. Engagement means being actively and fully present in the moment.
The good news is that engagement, unlike work/life balance, is achievable. Jesus models it, and Bob Rotella teaches it to his students. We need to learn how to take that part of our game from the golf course to our personal and work lives.
Prayer: Lord, teach me always to be fully engaged. Amen.