But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things, there is no law.
Balance In All Things Is The Goal
There are virtues (the good guys) and then there are vices (the bad guys). But who’s to say which is which? Do we rely on circumstance to distinguish between the two? Are the lines separating right and wrong so elastic that they change given a person’s unique situation, mood, or current disposition? Individuals often do make choices that shift hour-by-hour as they decide to go to work, feed their pets, parent their children, shop for clothing, and watch the evening news.
Too Much Of Anything Is Too Much
In other words, people act in accordance with creating a life that they deem is a “happy” or purposeful one. What individuals often miss is that they “err” by placing too much investment in terms of time, energy (emotional, physical, and mental), and material resources on specific single goals, objects, or people, so much so, that it throws the rest of their lives out of whack.
Good Things Can Become Idols Of The Heart Too
Certainly, none of the above responsible actions can be measured as vices? Well, said another way, sure they can. Anything, even any “good” endeavor, in its extreme, can become something of a personal “idol” which controls and masters us. Does this include time-worthy stuff like working, cleaning, mowing the lawn, or running errands for a neighbor? Yes. Unless we live out our days with a deliberate mindset of balance (in all things) our lives can quickly spin out of control.
Be Prayerful About Everything
Too much of something is simply too much. Whether we find satisfaction in lending a hand or offering our services unreservedly; we sometimes need to ask the difficult question. Is what I’m doing benefiting or handicapping another (or myself) in the long run? Am I shortchanging another (or myself) by putting this much emphasis on a particular activity, person, or vocational goal?
Balance Is The Key
A good gauge for determining whether a specific act falls into the vice or virtue column is one of degree. How does this play out in daily life? By continually reassessing our lives (within reason, of course). We need to mentally plot our hours and days and be willing to pull back in those areas where we are chocking the life out of others. Give and take…balance, balance, balance. In all things, strive for balance.
Balance In All Things –
- Work – do you weary yourself out to gain riches? The Bible says that’s foolish. Do a self-check and take a long hard look at what motivates you to work hard. Is it the financial gain? Acceptance from peers? Success as its own endpoint? Now, consider how much your life might become “richer” by bringing this area into real balance.
- Rest – do you take some time every day for rejuvenation? What about following the Bible’s injunction to rest on the Sabbath? Do you struggle against the very idea of taking time off from being “productive” not recognizing that perhaps the most productive thing you can do in the long run is to incorporate consistent spaces of rest into your life every day?
- Recreation – do you feel some sort of false guilt when you have fun? Do you secretly feel bad when you’re enjoying yourself because you know others are suffering or doing without? Remember, that the Bible says there are appropriate times for every act…times for simply have a good time…and this is as blessed by God as doing a good day’s hard labor.
- Worship – do you set aside portions of every day to spend with God? Prayer, Bible study and meditating on scripture all bring needed perspective and balance to our lives. We need God’s inspired word to instruct us, renew us, and encourage us…and we need this powerful spiritual practice daily.
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