A man walking along a tree trunk

 

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Balanced life

24 June 2019
‘Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.’

It can be challenging to live a balanced life. We can either end up working too hard, striving for more, and becoming exhausted. Or we can rest too much, become lazy, and rely on other people. The author of Ecclesiastes highlights this problem, and believes that one handful of rest with one handful of work is the answer. Living this way means that life is balanced. ‘Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.’ To have a balanced life we must live by these two Scriptures: 1) ‘Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you’ (1 Peter 5:7 NIV). 2) ‘Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour’ (v.8 NIV). When we fail to do either of these two things, we’ve opened the door for the enemy to attack us. Too much of anything, even a good thing, is a problem. For example, work is good. But too much of it causes stress, which can result in sickness, resentment, discouragement, and the breakdown of our relationships. Food is good. But too much of it can lead to health problems. It’s good to be organised. But if we become a perfectionist we can become fearful of failing, and that can lead to stress and arguments with others. Any area of our lives that get out of balance will rob us of the joy God wants us to have. Maintaining a balanced life is one of the biggest challenges we’ll probably face, but God can help us to be able to do it.

 

 

What Now?

Take a look at your life and ask, ‘In what areas am I out of balance?’ Then ask God to help you get back into balance.

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