Have you noticed how hard it is to live in "the
balance?" Imagine yourself standing on a teeter-totter. Living in the
balance holds it horizontal. But most people run back and forth going from one
extreme to the other, only realizing the problem when they find themselves
hitting the ground! Jesus lived in the
balance. No matter what he faced, the
stability of that balance stood like a rock--The Rock!
Balance is the
hardest thing until you get the balance inside of you! Case in point, remember
how hard it was to learn to ride that bike? Pedaling is not hard. Steering is
not hard. It's balance that's the trick. But once you get the sense of balance inside of you, that
which was beyond you is now simply an extension of you! It is the same for a
lifestyle of balance. The hard part is getting the sense of balance inside of
you, and then after that the balance will rule and you can enjoy the ride ever
so much more!
Peace is found
in the balance. Inner peace is the illusive benchmark of happiness for most
people. That is ultimately why happiness cannot be orchestrated by trying to
find all the components of happiness and then bringing them all together in a
life setting (i.e. the right spouse, the right career, the right house, the
right car, the perfectly spaced children, etc., etc.) Each component in and of
itself might be right, but without inner peace, happiness just won't seem to
take up residence in your soul.
Peace is
realized when there is sense of balance inside you--an anchoring knowledge that
the power of God is resident within you to counteract the unceasing challenges
and problems that living in this fallen world entail. Peace is not the absence
of challenges or problems, but rather the knowledge that no matter how heavy the burden, the One whose power is more than enough is "on
board," so to speak, and His power is always
available to you.
Stress is
present when the balance is lost. For
example, when we don't have an anchoring sense
within our soul that all the strength we need is already within us, we feel
inadequate to face the pressure. In
other words, the pressures and challenges are weighing in on our soul with more
weight than our own sense of adequacy to meet the challenge. On the other hand,
when every problem that presses down on us is met by the strength and
power of God coming up from within our
spirits--there is balance as opposed to inadequacy. And inner peace is in the
balance.
Unfortunately,
many people try to find happiness while ignoring the inner lack of balance. In
seeking "moments of happiness" they get involved in various forms of
self-indulgence or self-gratification, hoping to overpower the inner sense that
is out of balance. The deception is that to go full speed ahead without
restraint is to pursue that which will satisfy. Only inner peace will truly
satisfy, and it cannot be brought to heel by anything from outside our inner
person.
Getting the
sense of balance inside of you is accomplished through a realization of peace
with God...not running, not hiding, not negotiating, not rebelling, but peace.
Does this mean you have to be perfect every moment or you lose your peace? No,
that is simply a religious belief based in a performance mentality that will
guarantee you just the opposite of peace. Actually, to be at peace with God
simply means that you must know that God is present within you because of the
new birth; He is for you and not against
you; and that you have stopped fighting Him.
In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus says, "Are
you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll
recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and
work with me--watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I
won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll
learn to live freely and lightly."The Message
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