Stay in Balance

It’s easy to get so caught up meeting other people’s needs and measuring up to their expectations that we put ourselves on the back burner. There are the demands of work, spending time with your spouse, the pressures of raising children, running to the grocery store, the maintenance of the house, and friends who are counting on you. We develop a hero mentality where we can’t let anyone down. We always have to be strong, always come through, cheer everyone else up, fix the problems, and stay late.

We’re doing all these good things to try to keep everyone around us happy. The problem is that we can become depleted, drained, worn-out. We’re making sure everyone else is a priority, but we need to make ourself a priority. Your first mission is to keep yourself healthy-emotionally, physically, and spiritually. It’s not selfish to take time to get refreshed, to be reenergized. You shouldn’t be so busy that you don’t have time to be alone, time to laugh, time to exercise, and time for recreation. You need these things that help you stay in balance.

When Jesus was on the earth, He went around healing people, teaching in the synagogues, pouring Himself into His disciples. Everywhere He went, people made constant demands on His time and energies. Imagine how He felt. As the Son of God, He had this incredible power, anointing, wisdom, so much to offer. Yet at times, when so many people were coming that He and His disciples didn’t even have a chance to eat, He said to them, “Come with Me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (Mark 6:31). When He was tired, He would go away from the crowds and get alone so He could be refreshed. Jesus knew that He had to take care of His temple. No matter how anointed, strong, smart, or gifted you are, you get depleted. Despite all the needs around you, you have to get alone and recharge your batteries.

If the Son of God had to be alone and rest, if He couldn’t meet all the demands of the people around Him, why do we think we can go all the time and be everything for everyone? Don’t live with that hero mentality and let people make constant withdrawals from you without making deposits that refresh you. When you get rundown, emotionally drained, physically worn-out, it raises your blood pressure, causes you to live stressed, and you’ll be no fun to be around. If you’re not taking time to get away, you will be living far below your potential. You won’t be as good a parent, spouse, leader, or friend. You have to make it a priority to stay in balance. Take care of you.