BLOG PT3 - Balance???

Balance - Hmmm now there's an interesting word! Living life with balance - is there such a thing?

Whether you are a follower of Jesus Christ or not we all live lives where balance at one time or another brings pressure - HOW MUCH TIME DO I GIVE TO THE DIFFERENT AREAS OF MY LIFE? In essence that's the journey of balance. Things I love, that I have to do & therefore do, things I should do but don't do ... so many different scenarios hey! how much time do i give to God, family, church, getting ahead financially, my own recreational time, not to mention development of the gifts God has given at the expense of doing things that could benefit others particularly time with my children for example.

It starts as kids - I watch my kids (I'll put some latest pictures of them on my blogspot for anyone who wants an update of The Puddle Clan) - they're trying to figure balance & its fruit & consequences - the balance of what they want to do vs what i want them to do, t & them trying to figure out the balance question - "should I do it?" - & if they don't should I (Daddy) give them as they always tell me with longing looks & loud crys "One more Chance, Daddy one more chance" - the balance of parental discipline (that's a whole 'nother blog - old testament vs new testament parenting :)

Doesn't change much as adults I reckon - today kelista (my magnificent wife) & I ... well we got into a pretty deep discussion (yes started by me) over a drain!!! I had planned to go to the Book Shop at 1:25pm then pick up Kilaya from school when Kelista at 1:20pm asked if I could fix a drain ... hmmm my day off, time to rest, recooperate, helps the family in the end vs laying my desires down for my wife, the call of every husband - now if I had been a child & my mother had asked me to do this my choice is pretty easy ... do what i'm told or suffer the consequences ... but as an adult I get to make my own decisions & must live with the fruit of my decisions ... I chose to stay home & try to fix the drain ... which I couldn't! I was a bit ... annoyed! Not at Kelista but at the tension of balance I had faced & my feelings of smallness & guilt as a result. That I'm still not 'adult enough' to be content with my final decisions & find the joy in the moment ...whether that joy be in that I have been secure enough in myself to do what I wanted to do (with in Godly reason of course) or that moment was something I wasn't expecting but could "go with the flow" & find joy in (like a better looking drain:)

Here's a few things I think I'm learning about balance

1. There are Balance Principles but they outwork differently in every life
- The Bible speaks very little about balance. Its main mention is to do with unjust weights or unjust balance - where the balance corruptly favours the rich for example instead of the poor. Balance Principles come from things like faith, hope & love - eternal things that last

2. Balance is about my choices for my life & not others expectations - even those closest to me
- So many of our decisions are reactionary & not out of purposed actions - we often do so many things we really don't want to do or believe we r called to do! At the end of the day I will stand before God & give account for my life. He will ask we about my life of worship unto Him - my worship is the way I live my life - I have got to live my life according to the revelation of God that i have - not my spouses, mother's, fathers, Pastors or anyone elses - MINE - I have to be true to what I know today.

It's pretty intersting that people whom in the past I have thought to be most selfish are actually people who are least intimidated by others & yet are actually pretty Christ-Like - they stand up for what they believe God would have them do, they don't blame the fruit of their decisions on someone else & yet they're pretty quick to give the 'glory' of their acolades to their teams or people they do life with - the Balance seems to be there!!!

TILL NEXT MONDAY!!!