“How do I balance God and school? How do I balance God and family? How do I balance family and career?” These questions plague us. We seem to be searching hard for a balanced life, but it is nowhere to be found. Why? Why is a balanced life so elusive?
Here’s the reason … balance is impossible.
Not only that, balance is also chaotic and destructive. Let me explain.
High-wire acts are so ridiculous I am compelled to watch every second. If some dude is crazy enough to walk between two skyscrapers on glorified dental floss, I will give him five minutes of my time. Why? I hope the man walks across safely. But I know if he loses his balance, a close (and probably awkward) conversation with Jesus is imminent.
This is the reality when it come to balance. Balancing anything, especially for an extended period of time, is difficult. It’s impossible. At some point, your strength (or focus) fails, and something hits the ground. Hard.
Yet, every day we wake up and begin the journey across the glorified dental floss, hoping something unforeseen doesn’t disrupt our balance. Kids. School. Marriage. Work. Sleep. Start walking. But if we do this long enough, destruction is certain.
We live in a culture where information is more accessible than ever, yet we are not any smarter. We are more connected than ever, yet we are still lonely. More tools than ever are available to increase our productivity, yet there is never enough time.
As culture demands more of us, our lives fall more out of balance. So, we try harder to restore balance. And eventually we are teetering on the edge of destruction.
It’s time to accept reality … the pursuit of balance is destroying our lives.
There is a better way. It’s the way of God. It’s how all of creation maintains order. It’s the way of Jesus. What is this way?
The way of RHYTHM.
I am convinced that a sustainable rhythm to life is the antidote to our 21st-century culture.
I know what you’re thinking. “What in the world is rhythm? And how do I establish a life of rhythm?” My hope and prayer for us moving forward is clarity. Hopefully, the words that follow will give us the framework to both understand and implement this life. It is a daunting task. A rhythmic life is so foreign to a 21st-century Westerner. But this is exactly why it so needed.
The next two blog posts are going to focus on rhythm. This post focuses on the nature of rhythm. The post that proceeds this one will focus on practical applications to establish a sustainable rhythm.
If I could beg you to read every word of my next two posts, I would. But that’s not possible. So, I must settle with strongly encouraging you to do so. We desperately need to recover a life of rhythm. It is God’s way. It is the way that creates a meaningful way.
Here are eight reasons to establish a life of rhythm.
