Three Ways to Have Balance

Are you overcommitted?

Over-tired?

Overcome by your schedule?

God never intended us to be this busy. In Psalm 23:5 the Word says God anoints our head with oil and our cup overflows. Instead, our cups are empty because we don’t leave enough room in our daily planner for God to fill them up. So how do we have better balance? How can we carve out enough time to relax and breathe again? Here are three suggestions:

1. Delegate responsibility- Over the weekend I spoke at a women’s conference and during breaks I manned my book table, conversed with the attendees and tried to manage the sales. I couldn’t keep up with it. I realize now that I should have asked one of the church members to help me. When Moses presided as judge over the Israelites, his father-in-law, Jethro, observed that Moses was working from morning until late at night. In Exodus 18:17–18 he said, “What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.” So Jethro suggested Moses select capable men and appoint them as officials and judges over the people to lighten his load. It is important to let go of the control and delegate when we can.

2. Learn to say no- For whatever reason, I have a hard time saying “no” to people because many causes are worthy and I want to help, but there is only so much I can do. In a Psychology Today article, Sherrie Bourg Carter, Psy.D says, “Sometimes, its pride or a need for speed or the need for achievement that impels high-achieving women to take on too many responsibilities. Some women carry their spilling-out-of-the sides planner like a badge of honor. In the opposite direction, it’s sometimes insecurity that keeps high-achieving women from just saying no. What if I say no and he thinks I can’t keep up? Or what if I say no and she gets mad at me?” Bourg Carter suggests we practice, out loud, polite ways of saying “no” so we’re comfortable with the words.

3. Schedule a day of rest- Taking a Sabbath rest has been the most difficult of the Ten Commandments for me to keep. What about you? But God says, “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy” (Exodus 20:8). In an article about stewardship, Gateway Church Pastor Robert Morris says, “When we’re open to rest, we’re not only compassionate and empathetic toward others, but we’re also full of emotional energy. When we lose that mindset, we risk our health, well-being and effectiveness for the kingdom. On Sunday after a speaking at the out-of-town conference, I came back and crashed on the couch. I didn’t move all day even though I really wanted to work out. My body demanded a Sabbath rest. God initiated a Sabbath rest because he cares about us and knows we are fragile human beings who require a break. The Lord says we will be blessed when we put a Sabbath rest into place. Isaiah 58:13-14: “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day….then you will find your joy in the LORD and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land.”