“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1–5 (NIV)
The common refrain among time-starved, noise-saturated, overworked Americans is, “How can I achieve balance?”
We’ve been asking the wrong question. Nowhere in the Bible does God tell us to pursue balance. Your purpose in life is far bigger than that. Jesus said that being his disciple requires us to deny ourselves, to lose our own lives so we can find life in him (Matt. 16:24–25). As we follow Jesus, with our crosses on our backs, we aren’t balanced—we’re leaning, hard, toward our Savior, whatever that may look like in our current season of life.
If we define balance as a state of equal attention given to equal priorities—a static, even-keeled division of time—Jesus himself was not balanced. Sometimes he feasted, sometimes he fasted. He preached to the multitudes, but also escaped from the crowds to pray alone. And yet soon before he was arrested and crucified, Jesus said to the Father, “I have brought glory to you on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do” (John 17:4). No, Jesus was not “balanced”—but he was passionate and complete, because he did the work the Father gave him to do.
Balance is not our goal. We are free to lean in whatever direction God is calling us. Whether it’s a time to build or tear down, to run or rest, to raise small children or start a company, we have the freedom to order our days accordingly and without guilt. In reliance upon God, we each can lean into the current season of our lives, understanding that other seasons will follow.
Reflect:
Contemplate Ecclesiastes 3:1–5. What season are you in right now? How does that affect what you do and don’t do with your time?
Pray:
Ask God if you’re leaning in the right direction: toward his calling for your current season of life. Pray for confidence and peace as you pursue his leading.
While we pray for peace, we need moral clarity about this war.
As my doubts about his teachings grew, so did a secret fascination with Jesus.
Beyoncé’s right. Whether listening to Cowboy Carter or reading theology, diversity is a good thing.
