Last week I proposed we all re-think the way we think of the times when we are “at work” and take a more integrated view of professional life and personal life.  I think the term “work-life balance” implies that work is different than life.  For most of us, a work day is made up of hundreds or perhaps thousands of human interactions.  Real life happens at work every day!  However, even with an integrated view of life that acknowledges real life and real ministry happens at work, we still need to prioritize how we spend our time and energies so we are good stewards of the most precious commodity God gives us – time.

As I said last week, I don’t believe the answer is found in a formula – I believe the answer is found in a life.  The life of Jesus provides a good model for us to examine in seeking balance and it’s comforting to me to know that he struggled at times to achieve balance!

First, I need to perform a “heart check” on myself and determine what I am seeking to accomplish with my life.  If my primary objective is to arrange my schedule to benefit myself, I will never achieve balance.  The unhappiest people I know have enshrined themselves at the center of their own existence and seek to orient everything including their schedules around their self-interests.  These people are never satisfied with the amount and quality of “me-time” and seem to constantly feel disadvantaged by the demands of their calendars.  Jesus said he “came not to be served, but to serve” and his calendar reflected his “others-first” orientation.  In contrast to the “me-first” people mentioned above, my experience is that “others-first” people are the most content and happy folks I know and they seem to consistently feel that life is in balance. 

Ironically, these “others-first” folks also seem from the outside to have the most insane schedules.  Their calendars are full of business engagements, ministry work and social time with friends.  They manage to be involved in the lives of their children and grandchildren where they seem to always be at all the important kid events and they still make quality time for their spouse.  They are at multiple places at once and always with a smile on their face seemingly unstressed by the pace of their life.  The only insight I have into how these folks pull it off comes from my own hit-or-miss experience trying to be an “others-first” person.  The rewards of serving others and the motivation I receive from wanting to “be there” for the people in my life seems to empower me to solve most of my work-life balance problems one day at a time.  The busier I am serving others, the more content and balanced I feel.  The times when I slip back into “me-first” mode are the times I start to become unhappy and bitter about the demands of my schedule.  I aspire to be more of an “others-first” man.

Warning – I also have to recognize that there are times when I need to take care of myself.  Note that I am critical of making my primary objective self-service.  There are times when I simply have to get away for some “me-time.”  Once again Jesus provides an example for me to follow.  There are numerous times recorded in the Gospels where Jesus feels the need to escape from the demands of ministry and even the company of his closest friends and get some “me-time.”  Most often his “me-time” was spend recharging his batteries in prayer and meditation such as in Mark 1:29-37:

 And immediately after they came out of the synagogue, they came into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was lying sick with a fever; and immediately they spoke to Jesus about her. And He came to her and raised her up, taking her by the hand, and the fever left her, and she waited on them. When evening came, after the sun had set, they began bringing to Him all who were ill and those who were demon-possessed. And the whole city had gathered at the door. And He healed many who were ill with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He was not permitting the demons to speak, because they knew who He was.  In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.  Simon and his companions searched for Him; they found Him, and said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You.”

Sometimes even when everyone is looking for you to be there for them, you need to take some time to recharge your batteries.  Many of you already know my recharge time comes in the seat of a tractor.  It’s amazing what a couple of hours mowing grass in the pasture or moving a pile of dirt with the front-end loader will do to put things in perspective for me.  Perhaps the relatively low brain cycles required by most tractor work allow me to think through difficult problems, meditate on my place in the world or have long conversations with God.  I know this time connects me with my summers working “on the farm” and to my relationship with my grandfather which helps to center me.  Perhaps it’s just my “happy-place” and that’s OK.  Jesus doesn’t ask me to eliminate myself from consideration, he just asks me to place my self-interests in the back of the queue.

Finally, I need to remember that Jesus placed a very high priority on having a good time with friends, family and even new acquaintances.  In fact, Jesus placed such an emphasis on having a good time as worked on “serious ministry” that he drew criticism from the religious leaders of the time.  Luke records this confrontation with these religious leaders in Luke 7:31-34:

To what then shall I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like?  They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another,

   ’We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
   we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.’

For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’  The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’

Seems to me that Jesus was not offended in the least to be accused of enjoying time getting to know some searching sinners.  Those seekers found out that Jesus came to deliver on the promise of a full and rich life.

In the way of application, I’ll leave you with the real-world example of one of my best friends.  Jim is a consummate “others-first” shepherd who is the most likely one of us to be visiting a sick church member, leading an early morning prayer group, organizing a fellowship lunch, encouraging someone who is down or countless other acts of service.  Jim’s life is full of ministry to others.  Jim also loves to play golf.  I believe the golf course is Jim’s equivalent of my pasture and I believe Jim gets centered from his time on the course.  I also know he gets the biggest kick from playing with friends, family or even new acquaintances.  I have talked many people who have played golf with him and everyone always comments on the fun they have while on the course with him.  I don’t recall ever hearing who comes out ahead on the scorecard, but I know who wins every time – everyone else in the group.  Can you be serious about ministry and still have fun doing it with a grin on your face?  Jesus did and so does Jim.

WWJD about work-life balance?  Put others first!  This week, I’m going to try to achieve some balance in my life by putting others first on my professional and personal calendars because that’s WJWD!

Until next week,

Meet me at the intersection!

Work-Life Balance? (Part 1)	My Friend Mulligan	Winding Roads

How are you?  It’s a question that is asked millions of times per day in hundreds of languages.  Even my native Texas language’s traditional greeting, “Howdy” is just short for “How do you do?”  I know I ask that question many times each day as I pass by my friends and associates in the office corridors and church hallways.  And what is the traditional response?  “I’m fine.”   Have you ever had someone answer differently when you asked that question as you passed by them in the hall?  Perhaps someone answered truthfully, “not so great, thanks for asking.”   How many times have we answered, “fine” when the truth was a different story.  When someone responded truthfully to the question, did you back up and inquire further into what was wrong or did you move on down the road pretending not to have heard the unusual response?  I admit (not very proudly) I’ve responded both ways.  So why do we engage in this familiar exchange that so often veils the truth?  Perhaps because the simple question can lead to a very complex truthful response.  Many times it’s easier to respond, “fine” than attempt to describe what’s not right in my life.  Many times, I’m not quite sure what’s wrong just that something’s out of whack.

The problem is that we are by nature complex beings.  Our creator God created us with several different states of being that can each be “fine” or “not so fine.”  At a basic level we all have at least three fundamental states that can be described as emotional, physical and spiritual states.  You may want to think of these states as reservoirs or tanks that are relatively full or empty of energy.  When all three tanks are full, you will likely be in good shape and can honestly respond, “fine” to the hallway question.  When any one tank is approaching empty, you will likely feel “not so fine” and two or more tanks on empty indicate a serious crisis is brewing in your life.

God created you and He knows you have these tanks that require attention in order to be healthy and happy.  The best example I can find in the Bible of this human phenomenon and God’s response to us when we are running on empty is in I Kings chapters 18 and 19.  In chapter 18, the mighty prophet Elijah engages in a spiritual showdown with 450 prophets of the false god Baal and defeats them through the power of God.  The false prophets are put to death and the people of Israel are left with no doubts about who is the one true God and what is an inanimate object worshipped as a false god.  Chapter 18 concludes with the victorious Elijah in a foot race with King Ahab in his chariot from Mt. Carmel back to the town of Jezreel.  Elijah on foot beat the king in his horse-drawn chariot.  One would think that Elijah, energized by his victory with God, would be full of confidence and unshakable in any circumstance. 

However, chapter 19 opens up with Queen Jezebel passing a death sentence upon Elijah for killing the false prophets and placing a bounty on Elijah’s head.  The powerful prophet who had single-handedly with the power of God alone defeated 450 prophets of Baal turned and ran into the desert.  Why?  Because Elijah was human and in the battle of the previous day, he had run his three tanks empty.  When we are running on three empty tanks, we are in no position to go into any sort of battle.  We will certainly be defeated.  So, we have to stay on top of the status of our tanks and ensure they are constantly filled. 

I think you will all recognize in our topsy-turvy modern world, it is all too easy to run our physical, emotional and spiritual tanks dry without taking the time and making the effort to recharge.  Over the next three articles, we will study the example of Elijah in chapter 19 and notice how God personally ministers to Elijah and recharges each of his three tanks.  I know I benefit every time I consider the story of Elijah in I Kings 19.  I think there is a very practical Biblical therapy in this chapter that can completely revolutionize our lives and help us truly be able to answer, “fine” when our friends and associates ask us, “How are you?”  Come back next week to see how critical it is that we maintain our physical tank.  You will also see that your physical health is a priority for God and he is also very interested in the question, “How are you?”

Until next week,

Meet me at the intersection!