Is life balance a virtue we should seek? All the self help books tell me so.
In recent weeks I have been speaking with clergy whose chief concern is getting balance into their lives. Others say their main pastoral activity these days is to help congregation members get a better balance.
My problem is that the Bible doesn't speak about balance.
In fact in the three illustrations the apostle Paul uses in 2 Timothy 2 are the soldier, the athlete and the hard working farmer - all of whom are characterised by single minded determination and service. As I was reflecting on this I was reminded of a comment by Bruce Hall who said "if you want balance then become a Buddhist!"
Why we want balance?
I'm sure there are many reasons why we think balance in life is a virtue. Mostly though, I expect it is so that we can cope with the demands of life. We are so busy that we feel we need and are entitled to "me time" or "down time".
What's wrong with seeking balance? Is there anything wrong in seeking balance?
There is, if you are in the front line of warfare, which we are.
There is if you are another person's servant, and are at their disposal.
Balance thinking can so easily mis-shape the privilege of our relationship with God. I worry that sometimes behind balance thinking is the destructive thought that "I do this much for God, and so the rest of my time is for me". This is very different to the Lord's word that God's "service is perfect freedom".
What we really seek
Until the Lord returns we are all both creatures and Christians. That is, we are citizens of heaven, enjoying some of the benefits of glory now, but we are also subject to the frailties and weakness of our humanity.
What we really seek, and use the term balance for, is the capacity to persevere - to make it to the end, still rejoicing in serving our God. In pursuing this goal, God gives us our mind; a mind which is being regenerated by His Spirit. We need to use our minds to examine how God has wired us, and with what capacities he has endowed us. Then we can work out what we can and should do - and do it, and not more, joyfully in His service. We need to do this recognising that God has given us so many opportunities, and has also given us the bodies, capacities and relational limitations that he has.
A better metaphor?
If I succeed in eliminating work balance from our thinking, is there a better metaphor of what life now is like?
I want to suggest that it is like walking along the ridge of a mountain. The path is clear, but you must not deviate to one side or the other, lest you fall.
Deviate to the left, seeking balance and you will find life being about 'me', and service of God is one of the things I have to do in order to fulfil what is required.
Deviate to the right, to not being concerned for your creatureliness and you may find yourself trusting in your ability rather than in God. Both deviations are in danger of snatching the service of Christ as perfect freedom away from you.
As the writer to the Hebrews reminds: "let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith". Here is both exertion and trusting.
