In respect to the time, it is apparent that our western culture has seen its most violent shifts in the last few years. Governments, debt, divorce, crime, and a host of other factors make our generation a stark contrast to those before us. The American way of life has become disheveled. While there is a difference between the saint and the sinner, I have found that what exists in everyday life often makes its way into the mindset of the Church Body.
One of the issues is that of Balance – I am not speaking of a steady equilibrium. I speak of the equal scale of encouragement and correction; of giving and saving; of faith and works; of church involvement and family time. Our spiritual lives are often out of sync with the Spirit, because our natural lives have no room to hear Him. The early church balanced their gatherings by being present in the Temple and from house to house. They believed both were necessary as disciples of Jesus Christ.
Consider the critical substance of water. Oddly enough, drinking too much water can be deadly. Over-hydration occurs when a person drinks too much water. It’s called water intoxication or hyponatremia. In 2002, Boston Marathon runner, Cynthia Lucero died from drinking too much water as she threw her body out of balance thus losing the necessary chemicals to live.
Overindulgence of fun, entertainment, and media affects our spiritual health. Nonstop work with no Bible reading or prayer time might garnish more money, but it removes us from The Bread of Life. All of these things, if they are out of balance, cause the spiritual body to suffer. Time spent can never be recovered and when those hours are gone, they tell the story of our priorities and passion.
Jesus saw it in Israel – their striving for land, goods, and gain. He told them to seek first the Kingdom. He addressed the out-of-balanced religious sects concerning their indulgences. He said, Matthew 23:23 “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe… and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.”
Jesus presented Balance.
I urge you today to take note of your life. How do the scales read at the end of your day? And finally, what shall you answer when God asks you about the way you spent your life?
Pastor Jeffrey Harpole