Living a balanced life has almost become a fashionable thing to do. Between our career, fitness, intellectual stimulation, entertainment, planned relaxation and healthy eating it seems that we have identified all the right ingredients for a healthy and balanced life. And yet the perfect balanced life eludes us? Pursuing the balanced life can be very challenging as it leads us to constantly wonder whether if we’ve achieved the right mix of the activities and responsibilities in our lives. After all, how much is too much? At a practical level, it tends to focus on the externals of what we’re doing instead of the state of our hearts. So what does it mean to live a balanced life?

Allow me to share three principles as revealed in the Scriptures that can help to keep our life in balance :

1. Commitment - The critical first step to living a life of balance is deciding that it is more important than other measures of “success.” If the pursuits of power, prestige, position, possessions, or even pleasure are our primary goal, then these will dominate our life. If having these things are more important to us than balance, then they will win.” The Scripture admonishes us to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all (that we need in life) will be added to us. So in order to live out the balanced life, we must be committed to loving God and fulfilling God’s will for our lives. At the very beginning, we must understand that the goal is not to organize our lives so as to achieve some abstract state of “balance”. The goal is to bring every area of life into harmony with God’s will. The goal is to follow and obey Him with every area of our lives. If we do that, then the “balance” will take care of itself, because God will never ask us to do more than we are able.
2. Sabbath – “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy (Exo. 20:8). While the command to observe the Sabbath is stated in the Old Testament, it does not mean it is obsolete. It was given as a means to obtain rest and recover perspective in our lives. Many of us live in the fast lane of life, speeding in overdrive, leaving us overwhelmed by our daily responsibilities. We spread ourselves too thin, we burned out, lost our enthusiasm, and had no time for the things we truly enjoy. We need to take time to rest and to reflect. Concerning the contemplative life, the Lord has this to say, “but only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen what is best, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:42).
3. Passion - The creative force behind all great art, all great drama, all great music, all great architecture, all great writing is passion. Nothing great is ever accomplished in life without passion. Nothing great is ever sustained in life without passion. Passion is what energizes life. Passion makes the impossible possible. Passion gives you a reason to get up in the morning and go, “I’m going to do something with my life today.” Without passion, life becomes boring. It becomes monotonous, routine, and dull. God wants us to love Him passionately. The most important commandment in the Bible according to the Lord Jesus is, “so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.” (MSG-Mar 12:30). We must ensure that our passion for God is at the all-time high or we will be out of “balance” in our lives.
   
   Blessings,
   Pastor Chris Chan