Teach Me Balance 🚲⚖

Life can sometimes feel like a never-ending treadmill of playing catch-up.

We have seasons, where we just feel like we're going and going and going, waiting for that break to be able to pause, catch our breath and recharge.

So many times, it feels like a break that never comes.

We often find ourselves trapped on the hamster wheel of homework, or the conveyor belt of corporate demand.  Maybe some of us feel like our joy is being constantly choked by the unending supply of chores around the house.

Why do we keep finding ourselves in this situation?  "Where is this elusive joy and peace we've been promised?" is something we may find ourselves asking, especially when we feel bogged down and torn because our schedule is stretched thin by service.

You may feel tempted to ask, "Lord, where is my reward for serving You and serving others?  Surely, burnout cannot be what you have in store for me?"

Such feelings and thoughts are not as rare and unique as you might think.  This is a struggle that may manifest in one way shape or form when life and its overwhelming demands mount up.

What then is the answer to all these questions?

The answer is: Balance.

A quick reflection of your life would no doubt be able to affirm a time when perhaps you couldn't ride a bicycle.  You would also then be able to recall that it is something that you had to learn.  At first, it wasn't something quite intuitive.  After all, we're creatures that pretty much from the stage of toddlers get used to operating on firm footing, to the extent that this is second nature and walking (and even running) happens without much thought.  Then comes this new way to roll, scary at first, unfamiliar at first, but then with patience and sound guidance you eventually master the art of steering right, leaning right and course correction.  You learn balance, and then that bit of mastery now becomes second nature.

What's that?  You never did learn how to ride?

OK, well how about reflecting on a time before you learnt how to balance your budget?

At first, the impulse would be to get money... and spend the money, without much of a thought for careful and strategic planning... but then came the lessons, that taught you to count the costs and weigh them against the wages.

You learned how to measure what you have coming in against what you have going out.  You learn balance... and then that bit of mastery became second nature.

Whatever it is in life that you choose to use as your object lesson, the essence of it is that you have been able to move from a point of being untrained and overwhelmed, to learning how to apply experience and wisdom to not only cope, but thrive in circumstances that seemed unnatural and threats that took you way out of your element.

It is this principle that we must apply to the spiritual areas of our lives.

Regardless of who or how or where you serve, it is critical, that you always remember and regard the importance of balance.

Going too hard in one direction or the next, can lead to spills and falls, but a deliberate and conscious attempt to learn from others and one's own adventures can build a kind of spiritual mastery that provides the discipline needed to thrive.

There is a time for everything and a season for every activity here on Earth.

So when you start to feel and smell the burn, then it's time to pause and be still, look to the Master Teacher and say: Lord, Teach Me Balance.