Work Life Balance Isn’t That At All

The High Calling has a wise post from Kate Harris (who directs the Washington Institute for Faith, Vocation, and Culture) about the myth of work life balance. She points out that even the idea of “balance” reflects a potentially wrong theological perspective on the world:

This is where we bump up against the simple but stark reality that balance, as a philosophical framework for living, is not rooted in a Christian view of the world. As a tool, such as when webalance our checkbook or balance our diet, one may be quick to point out the many practical benefits and virtues of balance, and I would readily agree. To the extent that we think about balance as a tool – a helper, a gut-check, a barometer of instinct – it takes on many of the attributes of prudence and thus gains rightful praise as a virtue, helping us wisely manage and contend with our limited resources . . .

. . . Christian cosmology says [that] everything is out of order and harmony is long gone. Sin has entered the world and every single micron of our universe and our being is out of whack. There is nothing we can do to fix it or to bring it even remotely into right order. Save for a God who steps in to make it right again – a God who suffers, a God who saves – there is no hope for life at all, let alone a balanced life . . .

You can, and should, read the whole post.