Balance
Balance
Balance is an essential need for all of us.
I especially appreciate my need for balance when I’m training in martial arts. We call it “staying in our frame.” Being in frame refers to having a strong foundation from which we can strike or defend when facing an opponent. When someone is in frame, they have good balance and cannot be thrown or knocked down by an opponent. It’s easy to stay in frame when you’re not moving. It’s much more challenging to do it when you’re mobile.
Like martial arts, we need balance in our lives. It’s easier for us to keep it when we’re not moving. It’s harder to pursue this when our schedules are full and we encounter unexpected challenges or opportunities.
How can we keep balance as Christ followers? Although the following list is not exhaustive, here are three ways we can maintain our frame in our walks with Jesus.
Seek First His Kingdom
One of the main reasons we lack balance in our lives is a lack of focus on the Kingdom of Christ. We seek and pursue priorities and goals that are not Kingdom-focused. We try to build our own kingdoms, pursuing stuff in this world rather than pursuing Jesus. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33 ESV)
Jesus wants us to pursue Him and His Kingdom. We must focus on Him as we live our lives. We need to spend time with Him in His Word and pray daily and moment-by-moment. Focusing on the written and incarnate Word will help us align our lives with Him. Seeking His Kingdom involves seeking His will. Time in the word and in prayer will help us know and do His will as we walk with Him daily. This pursuit of Christ and His Kingdom grants us a solid foundation upon which to live each moment of our lives.
Balance and Time Management
Related to seeking the Kingdom of Christ, keeping balance in our lives involves making wise decisions regarding our time. Sometimes it’s difficult to discern between a distraction and an opportunity for gospel and Kingdom advancement. Again, we must seek God’s will and see each moment we live as a stewardship of time that we offer back to Him. In his letter to the church in Ephesus Paul admonished, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” (Ephesians 5:15-17 ESV)
There it is again–God’s will for our lives. As we plan our schedules, make commitments, and learn to say “No” to possible distractions, we should keep in the forefront of our minds the question, “Is it the Lord’s will that I plan this particular event in my schedule?” (James 4:15) We should live with one eye on our watches while we seek to know and do the will of God. Our days are short and numbered, wasting time takes away balance in our lives and deters us from pursuing Christ and His Kingdom. We must manage our time well.
Be Content With Christ
Jesus, to the Christ follower, is not a priority among many. He is our very life. Jesus told the disciples, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6 ESV) When we come to Christ through repentance and faith, He grants us eternal life. Jesus defined eternal life stating, “And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (John 17:3) God grants us life, eternal life, through Jesus Christ. Knowing Him is all we need in this life as He is our sole sufficiency; therefore, we can be content.
The Apostle Paul referred to this content as he wrote a letter to the church in Philippi while in a prison cell facing execution. He declared, “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:11-13 ESV) Because he found his sole sufficiency in Christ, Paul could live his life with balance and contentment.
We can learn from Paul’s example. Rather than complain about our circumstances, we can trust in a sovereign God who is working all things for our good. (Romans 8:28) When we are tempted to compare ourselves to other people and covet their possessions or gifts, we can be content in God’s will for our lives where we are doing what He’s called us to do. This focus on Christ creates contented balance and a solid foundation upon which we can stand despite the circumstances we face in this life.
Are you seeking balance as a Christ follower? Seek His Kingdom. Balance your time as a good steward. Find your contentment in Christ.
Tim McKnight is the founder and President of McKnight Ministries©, the nonprofit parent of Engage Every Generation. He is an Associate Professor of Missions and Youth Ministry and Director of the Great Commission Center at Anderson University. Tim is on the speaking team for Clayton King Ministries. Also, he is the lead pastor and planter of a new church plant, Mosaic Church of Anderson. Tim is the author of No Better Gospel (2017), Engaging Generation Z (Kregel 2021), and editor of Navigating Youth Ministry (B&H Academic 2022).
Tim started ministry in 1991 and has served churches in Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Alabama, North Carolina, and South Carolina as a youth pastor, associate pastor, and lead pastor. He holds a B.S. in Criminal Justice from Bluefield College, and a M.Div. and Ph.D. from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. His primary field of study for the Ph.D. was in evangelism, with additional studies in missions and church history. His dissertation was on The Theology and Methodology of Evangelism of George Whitefield.
He served as a US Army Chaplain in the Kentucky Army National Guard, deploying on Operation Noble Eagle (2001) and Operation Enduring Freedom (2002). He is a recipient of the Kentucky Army National Guard Distinguished Service Medal.
He is a husband to Angela, father to Micah, Noah, Karissa, and MaryAnna. The most important thing he would want you to know about himself is that he is a follower of Jesus Christ.
