Community, Balance, and Significance

Some of us have occupations with busy seasons. Accountants have the spring. As the snow melts and the days get longer, the tax returns pile up. Teachers know the drill. August is a busy time getting everything organized. Retail workers have the holidays. Nurses have the flu season. Kids, activities, school, work, household management—most of us experience the busy season at least once in a while. 

Tuesday started at 5:45 a.m. It ended fourteen hours later at 7:45 p.m. I didn’t work the entire fourteen hours, but it was a long day. I arrived home and did my best to leave budgets, sermons, to-do lists, staff evaluations, and email at the office. The boys didn’t need a pastor. They needed a dad. 

An hour or so later I found myself in bed with the boys. Benjamin was on one side and David was on the other. The light beside the bed dimly lit the room as I read a book and then told a story. The boys feel asleep and I stayed a few minutes. I thought about busyness and balance and purpose and passion. I came up with three things we long for in this messy, hectic, overfunctioning, stressful world.

Community – God didn’t create us to be alone. Then God said, “It is not good for man to be alone. I will make a companion who will help him.” –Genesis 2:18 Being alone has nothing to do with being in the presence of others. A person can be in the physical presence of others and be completely isolated. Anxiety and activity can make us feel lonely. Make time for companions who add value to your life. 

Balance – Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 gives God’s vision for balance in life: For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak. Balance is God’s idea. Many of us are out of balance and this lifestyle is taking a toll on us relationally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Say “no” to some things, both good and not-so-good, so you can say “yes” to balance. 

Significance – Success is the message of the world. Significance is the message of the Gospel. Success is attaining and achieving. Significance is empowering others to attain and achieve. Success doesn’t last a lifetime. Significance can last many lifetimes. We are wired to help others and without significance, we are missing out on an integral part of life. The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others. -Matthew 20:28 

In our lives I pray, and I invite you to join me in praying, for community, balance, and significance. 

The best is yet to come… 

Craig