IT'S NOT EVEN A THING
I did try for a long time, to balance my world. And it is the number one question I get asked when I travel and speak to difference groups of people.
“How do you balance everything in your life?”
The truth is, I don’t.
I’VE NEVER LIVED A BALANCED LIFE.
Think about what it takes to balance a set of scales; a perfectly equal quantity on each pan. So to balance my life would require I give an equal portion of time, focus and attention to every part of my life.
That’s impossible!
I could not and would not give the same amount to time and energy to my husband as my job, my children, my friends, my hobbies.
IN FACT IF I WERE TO LIVE A BALANCED LIFE, I WOULD BE DOING A WHOLE LOT OF THINGS AND NONE OF THEM EXCEPTIONALLY WELL.
I wonder how many people are running around exhausted and completely ineffective because they haven’t been told that balance is not even a thing.
Like perfectionism, balance is a cruel taskmaster that never lives up to its promises. It lures people into a holding pattern, like a mouse on a wheel; always running and never getting anywhere.
Balance is not even a thing.
I remember asking a group of university students once,
“Can a world-changer live a balanced life?”
They stared back at me nervously, not knowing how to respond. “Is this a trick question?” they thought.
I continued.
Does an athlete live a balanced life?
Does an evangelist live a balanced life?
The genius, the inventor, the entrepreneur?
Did Mother Teresa live a balanced life?
Did Jesus live a balanced life?
The answer is, “No”.
Truth be told, anybody who ever made a significant splash lived in hot pursuit of that one thing they became known for.
We must conclusively understand that balance is not something we should ever aim for.
You absolutely cannot achieve balance in your life if you intend on making a lasting impact with it.
Those who achieve great things in life are not concerned with balance. They are driven by a set of other compelling forces such as conviction, passion and steadfast non-negotiables.
Rather than striving for balance
We are to be compelled by priorities
EVERYTHING ELSE IN VARYING LEVELS OF IMPORTANCE IS FORCED TO FIT IN AND AROUND OUR PRIORITIES
There is no need to re-write the book. You’ve just got to do what you know deep down to be right. We have to know whom we are, what we are called to do and why we are called to do it.
When Jesus made his first public declaration of purpose, He didn’t introduce anything new, in fact He was quite simply stating an age-old charge. He was aware of and fulfilling the call on His life.
When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released,
that the blind will see,
that the oppressed will be set free,
and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”
He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently. Then he began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!”
Luke 4:16-21 (NLT)
His calling was clear and simple.
His vision was unclouded and focused.
His vision would allow Him to set priorities that would prevent Him from being distracted by new fads or flashy things.
Clarity of vision demands that you set priorities. It disallows excuses and eliminates Plan B.
BEWARE OF OPTIONS
OPTIONS SHRINK CAPACITY
A person resolute is a powerful force.
However, a person with options is easily swayed, their calling easily diluted.
"A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways"
James 1: 8
PRIORITIES SET YOU UP FOR GREATNESS
Life is a buffet these days. We can pick and choose from a broad range of alternatives when it comes to just about anything and everything. A study of history and human behaviour will quickly admit that this has resulted in the weakening of the human tenacity. We can be softened by preference; tempted to sell out for the sake of convenience.
Potential is only realised through commitment and pursuit; a returning back to the main thing.
Throw the scales out of whack today. In fact, toss them out all together.
What are your non-negotiables?
What will you be known for?
How will you structure your life for maximum impact?
