Finding Balance: Priorities and Pace

The daily and weekly schedule is such a beast for many! We plan and do our best to fit everything in, yet it seems to control us more than we control it. Family activities, work meetings, church functions, personal exercise, and more can consume a day or week faster than we can blink. Do you ever feel like you are running at an unhealthy pace? Perhaps you would love to sit and read the Bible, but you feel so busy you can’t even find time to fix dinner. Sounds about right?

Our pace, honestly, can be out of control. And truthfully, there are some things about our schedule we can’t control. Our boss calls a meeting or school closes for the weather, and we have to pivot and make it work. In general, our pace reflects our priority. The never-ending truth is that we make time for what is important, and often, our problem isn’t actually our scheduling but is one of discipline.  We may need to get up earlier or say no to some good things in order to say yes to the better things.

If you struggle with time management, there are incredible resources and books to help coach you toward a more healthy and sustainable rhythm. Feel free to reach out to us for some recommendations. No matter how hard we work to get it right, there are some days that seem totally out of control and consuming. Mark 1:29-34 records a day in the life of Christ where He had no breaks and no time for Himself. He went from one eternally significant and urgent matter to the next. He sacrificed Himself and His needs for the needs of others.  While even He pulled away when necessary to rest, His actions in this text truly reflect His priority.

He understood the brevity of life and the reality of eternity and was willing to overextend Himself for eternal things. What about you? God commands us to rest and honor the Sabbath. He also commands us to work six days. I encourage you to reassess your daily and weekly rhythms in the light of eternity.  What can you give up to take on? What should you say no to in order to say yes to something better? I think some honest reflection on Jesus’ life and patterns can reframe our perspective and daily rhythms to be more Kingdom-focused rather than selfish.