Finding my dream job as a sales person thrilled me to no end. I would get up in the morning and dress in the cutest yet business-like suit. From the time I started hitting the streets and talking with customers to the minute I arrived back to my desk, the drive to succeed motivated me. Sometimes this drive caused me to act aggressively in achieving the sale. It also turned off my co-workers. But I didn’t care. There was important work to do and bonuses to make. It sure was fun being a grown-up business woman.
However, there was no balance to my life. I spent hours on my computer once I arrived home at the sake of time with my family and friends. After a long day, I also had no energy for exercise and eating healthy choices. Though the work aspect of my life was thriving, "lopsided" would describe my life.
I needed balance.
I wonder if you are like me and also living a lopsided life- one where you put too much emphasis on just one aspect of life and miss out on blessings from life as a whole.
Maybe you are lopsided in your focus on making money at the sake of a perspective that money doesn’t fulfill all of your needs. Maybe you are lopsided and overly stressed about school work and not taking time to rest and refresh. Maybe you are lopsided by spending every waking hour caring for your family while neglecting taking time for yourself. Maybe you are lopsided by spending every extra minute on a favorite hobby rather than making time to sit at the feet of Jesus daily.
When we live a lopsidedly, we miss out on the blessings God is ready to pour out on us in other areas of life. The lopsided life consumes our minds, hearts and actions to the point where we focus and narrow in on just one (important) part of life, yet there is more to life than our career, making money or making good grades. The lopsided life cuts us off from abundance. Jesus says,
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10 ESV)
A balanced life = An Abundant Life.
I started finding this abundant life and balanced out the “scales” when I realized the lopsided-ness caused me to miss out on precious time with my family and friends. I began to create margin in my work so that I had more brain space and emotional energy to enjoy quality time. More coffee dates with friends and more date nights with my husband created more balance. I also focused more on my health and carved out time for exercise. This balance caused me to feel more relaxed, drop a few pounds and alleviate back pain. A much needed addition to level out my life.
I experienced this abundance that Jesus refers to in John 10:10 when spending time with Jesus daily was scribbled on my to-do list as a priority instead of an afterthought. As I started out my day with my Bible, the Lord showed me that I needed to get over myself and open my eyes to all of the aspects of life that He was waiting to bless me:
- There was joy to experience in exploring new hobbies and using my creative talents that He bestowed on me.
- There was peace to experience when I didn’t have to strive to achieve during every waking moment.
- There was love to pour out when I made time to serve others instead of serve my need for making money.
- There was kindness to receive as I made time to allow others into my heart when I made time for intentional relationships.
Abundance flooded my life as I found balance. Yes, work was still important. I didn’t all of the sudden become a slacker. But, I did become a woman who knows that God created a whole world that is full and abundant. If I live in a lopsided mindset, I will miss out.
So how do we balance out the lopsided life? Here are some tips I've found helpful:
- Know that there are times where one aspect of your life will need more attention than others. Keep that in check and be intentional about letting people in your life know that they have not lost your attention.
- Make a list of the areas in your life that are most important to you. Then, evaluate how much time or energy is spent toward those areas. Is there one that tips the scales?
- Create boundaries with your time with regards to things like work, hobbies or exercise.
- Find ways to serve others. This helps us to get over ourselves and outside our comfort zone.
- Make time daily to sit quietly with Jesus. Have a journal and pen in hand to write out things you are thankful to help keep perspective on what is really important in life.
The neat thing about living in the balanced and abundant life is not that we will have to sacrifice things like work, making money or whatever it is that was previously lopsided in your life. No, these things that are important to us can still be priorities. But, instead of our life revolving around just one part of our life, we now live in the wholeness of what God planed for us when we live in abundant balance. Out of that abundant balance, we are able to...
- Love others well
- Love ourselves more
- Laugh and be merry
- Serve out of compassion
- Worship Jesus with an open heart.
I would love to hear your thoughts on living an abundant and balanced life. Leave a comment...let’s chat!
