Finding Balance in 2011

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

There’s something exciting about a new year and a new start. Each year during the final week of December, I take stock of what I accomplished that year. I begin to think about all the possibilities for the coming year, the new opportunities to grow. I imagine the wonderful adventures ahead: new friends, new books to read, new roads to travel, new things to learn, and a new grandbaby!

For the last few years I’ve chosen a theme for the year. One year I focused on happiness; last year I focused on positive thinking. I read books and articles, taught classes about the themes, and tried to incorporate new theme-based practices into my everyday living. This year I’ve chosen to be intentional about balance – balance of mind, body, and spirit.

Let your moderation be known unto all men. Philippians 4:5a

This definition of balance helps explain my goal: “an imagined device for assessing events, actions, and motives in relation to each other” (Word Dictionary). This year I’ll be assessing the “events, actions, and motives” of my mind and body in relation to my spiritual life.

Mind, body, and spirit are so interconnected that if any one of the three is out of balance, the other two suffer. When we are balanced in all three areas, we find wholeness and wellness that Christ desires for us. In the center of balance is peace.

Body
It is through our body that we function in the world. "The human body is the best picture of the human soul" (Ludwig Wittgenstein Philosophical Investigations). Our bodies need rest, movement, and nutrition in order to function properly.
Am I taking care of my body with good nutrition, daily exercise, and adequate rest?
What changes do I need to make in order to live at an optimal level?
Balance: Rest Movement Nutrition

Mind
It is our soul (mind) that gives us our personality and helps us to live in relationship with God, other people, and ourselves. Our soul likely has three components: our mind, our will, and our emotions. Since the mind and body communicate constantly, it’s important to keep them both healthy. Our minds are always busy and ready to learn new things.
Am I keeping my mind battery charged with positive thoughts? Am I overcoming stress, beating boredom, and achieving creativity?
In the coming year what can I do to make my thoughts, attitudes, and actions more Christ-like?
Balance: Mind Will Emotions

Spirit
It is in our spirit that we find meaning and purpose. Our spirit enables us to love ourselves, one another, and God. By incorporating spiritual practices such as prayer, Bible study, worship, discipleship, and fellowship, into our lives, we can develop a healthy spirit.
Am I devoting significant time each day to spiritual practices?
Is there balance in my worship (hands up) and ministry (hands out)?
Do I dwell in love and harmony with God, others, and self?
What changes do I need to make in order to allow the Holy Spirit to guide my spirit?
Balance: Spiritual Practices Ministry Relationships

A balanced mind, body, and spirit is essential to healthy living. Some people are in good physical shape but are malnourished in their soul because their minds are filled with negativity or hate. Some people have healthy minds but are depraved in their spirit for lack of prayer, Bible study, or worship. We need to stay balanced in all areas in order to experience wholeness and peace that Christ desires for us.
.
Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. I Thessalonians 5:23

Let’s make a commitment to live a balanced life in 2011 so that we can be sanctified by the God of peace!

2011 Mission Statement: To glorify God and edify others through intentional and balanced living.

Clean Engine

Monday, November 8, 2010

A billboard slogan read, “A clean engine always delivers power.” This slogan registered with me because my “check engine” light had appeared on my dashboard, and I knew I needed to schedule an oil change. The oil is the lifeblood of the engine and the quality of the oil is important to make it run efficiently. In the previous oil change, I had used an expensive synthetic oil. However, this time I decided to go back to the mineral oil. The technician warned me about going back and forth between the two kinds too often. In essence, he explained that it was confusing to the engine to make it fluctuate between the two. He basically said, if you've been using synthetic and change down to a mineral-based oil, your engine might not be able to cope with the degradation. Whoa! Degradation! That sounds pretty awful! Filth and ruin in my cute white convertible! I don’t think so!

Do we ever downgrade our minds? We go to church or Bible study each week and fill our minds with positive biblical messages. But what happens during the rest of the week? Are we filling our minds with impure, negative, mean-spirited, or ugly thoughts? Are we guilty of gossip, criticism, or sarcasm? When we downgrade the input of our minds, we too have trouble coping with the degradation. Our minds need an oil change too. We need to put in a high quality of positive, faith-based thoughts and flush out the negative thoughts.

A mind free of negatives will produce positives. A clean mind will deliver power, so we need to flush out our negative thoughts in order to have a clean mind.

Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:16 & 17 (NIV)