There is an idea out there that if we juggle everything just right in life, we can do it all--that we can find the right balance.

While there is indeed a balancing act in all our lives between the many roles we serve as women: mom, wife, daughter, sister, friend, there are other things that are sometimes more difficult to find balance for: career, volunteering, blogging, committee chairing, hobbies, home business, homeschooling, PTA coordinating....the list goes on and on. What if it was never intended for us to do everything, to fill up every minute of every day with activity? What if it’s not merely a balancing act, but a pruning exercise, that we must each undergo at various times in our lives? It is not that there is anything wrong with wearing several hats, juggling many responsibilities, or working a part-time job. We all do. It’s simply that “making it all fit,” or finding the perfect balance may not always be the best indicator of whether our proverbial full plate is as it should be. In other words, just because it all “fits,” doesn’t mean it should.

Finding balance is a means to an end, it is not the end itself. The purpose of finding balance in all the things we want to do and must do, is ultimately to fulfill the chief end of man, according to the Westminster Shorter Catechism: To glorify God and enjoy him forever. That is the REASON for which we labor to “find balance.” Balance in itself is not the point of arrival. Are we seeking balance so that we can do it all? Do we find ourselves tempted to substitute balance for honest discernment in our schedules. Balance does not, in itself, promise joy. It does not secure fulfillment and satisfaction. It does not ensure family stability and right priorities. Balance doesn’t accomplish those things, but glorifying God and enjoying him DOES.

Here are 5 questions that may help us discern whether we are seeking balance for balance sake, or if we are seeking balance to live unto Christ:

1. Are the activities and responsibilities currently on your plate there because God has called you to them? Have you specifically asked the Lord about your involvement in those things?

2. Charles Spurgeon said, “God’s callings are His enablings.” While challenge and struggle are a part of every worthy pursuit, do you see God’s enabling in your life, or are you striving to do what you want to do?

3. Is your busy schedule a result of pleasing God or pleasing man?

4. How much of your time is spent serving your family, and how much is spent serving others? What does that proportion ultimately say about what you believe?

5. Do you believe your foremost purpose is to glorify God and enjoy him forever? Are you enjoying Him through your activities and schedule? Is He glorified in the way you plan your time?

Sisters, we are all works in progress. As we each learn to discern what it is to have balance, and what we are seeking balance for, let us hold fast to our purpose and joy in life: God’s glory and the enjoyment of Him!

Grace and peace,