Finding That Balance

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." Philippians 3:12

"in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:12

"Commit to the LORD whatever you do,
and your plans will succeed." Proverbs 16:3

One of the things that has been coming up a bit in our group discussions on Sunday is the idea of serving within the church. It's a common idea that within a church body, usually it is 10% of the congregation that does 100% of the work. We've tried to figure out exactly why that is, and haven't, but I always leave that discussion feeling like I don't do enough...maybe there is more I could do to take away some of the burden from someone else. Then I get busy and my week fills up and I don't take any further action, and I wonder again if I should be doing more.

The thing is, my job, my role in life at this moment is not about church. Yes, I do plenty to serve, and I help where I can, but sometimes I need to refocus, and look to God and seek confirmation that I am doing what I am supposed to be doing. Something will come to mind, a verse or passage in the Bible, or a book that I've read, and I'll just know that it's a message for me from God that I'm doing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing. For the time being anyways, my number one role is as a mother and a wife. My job is to care for my children and take care of my husband, and sometimes I lose that focus. Sometimes I get caught up thinking there is more I could do- whether it be doing more at church or volunteering elsewhere in the community. And sometimes that "I can do more" mentality gets me in trouble. I put things on my plate that maybe don't belong there and I end up busy, and my children and husband are the ones who suffer.

God has shown me this. He has helped me to realize that I don't need to do everything- that being "that person" who does everything doesn't have to be me, and would you believe, I've actually said no to a few things? It's all about finding that perfect balance, and it's so different for each person. A problem that I've noticed lately is people who are struggling to find a place to serve within the church to begin with. They're just not sure where they can best serve, and since they feel like they need to contribute somewhere, they offer their services somewhere that isn't a good fit for them, but it at least helps them feel like the contribute. I know what that's like-I've been there before! What I've come to think though about such times as those is that sometimes, we just need to focus on God. Maybe there are times where there is no place to serve so that we can focus on God and what he has to say to us. Maybe by focusing on God and on the people around us, we can see a need that isn't being fulfilled by anyone. But if we fill that space with being busy, we can't fully see what God is trying to say to us.

The important thing to note and to pay attention to is that God has a plan for us at all times. Sometimes that plan is to do nothing, and sometimes that plan is for us to get involved and take some action. Yet we can't do it all. When we're feeling harried or overspent, we need to take a step back and look at the balance in our life. We need to remind ourselves that our focus should be on God first and foremost, and then we need to identify what we need to be doing versus what we feel like we should be doing. So in those moments when you're feeling overwhelmed, take a deep breath, and turn your eyes towards heaven. Let Him guide you, and know that it is okay to say no sometimes.