Ecclesiastics 1:9, “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.”
People still struggle with the same issues and needs that we always have from the beginning of time. We never seem to find satisfaction in earthly things. We always want more and more. Look at the current culture and tell me where anyone is content with only the earthly things they have.
While there is nothing new under the sun, people do keep inventing, and creating, and giving new words to old practices. The other day I saw an article on Chōwa – “a timeless Japanese philosophy of balance, peace, and harmony.”
The word balance caught my eye, because in this world we certainly do miss balance (as well as peace and harmony). Our culture is one of extremes – extreme makeovers, extreme sports, extreme weather, extreme culture. Even our speech is extreme these days. The ‘philosophy of balance’ is timeless!
I love the picture that the word balance brings to my mind – Lady Justice holding the scales to gain balance, Olympic champions performing on the balance beam, a crazy person walking a tightrope over Niagara Falls. Balance isn’t always easy in our lives.
Wisdom would remind us to stop and evaluate our lives at times, to see if we are out-of-balance – like our tires on the car. If tires are out-of-balance, it puts undue stress on other parts of the car and can be dangerous. If our lives are out of balance, it puts undue stress on us – physically, emotionally, spiritually, mentally – and it, too, can be dangerous!
Set aside some time and examine your life. Are you finding a good balance between rest and activities? Time alone and time with friends and family? Time in God’s Word and time serving?
Is there a good balance between being negative and being positive? Do you need to be more gracious with your words? In your relationships? To yourself?
Are you studying God’s Word and the truths of Scripture or spending too much time on social media, websites, and games? I could certainly keep going with examples of necessary balance, but you know what is best to live a balanced Christian life. Too often in the busyness of life, we forget to maintain a good working balance. Do you need to get back in balance?
Don’t put it off. Think of what you can do to make changes in your life to get back in balance. Ask your Heavenly Father to give discernment to see where you are out of balance and ask for wisdom and strength to make the needed changes.
