Balance as a Lifestyle
Ten Best Things To Say If You Get Caught Sleeping At Your Desk
10. "They told me at the blood bank this might happen."
9. "This is just a 15 minute power-nap like they raved about in that time management course you sent me to."
8. "Whew! Guess I left the top off the White-Out. You probably got here just in time!"
7. "I wasn’t sleeping! I was meditating on the mission statement and envisioning a new paradigm."
6. "I was testing my keyboard for drool resistance."
5. "I was doing a highly specific relaxation exercise to relieve work-related stress.
4. "Gee Why did you interrupt me? I had almost figured out a solution to our biggest problem."
3. " The coffee machine is broken..."
2. "Someone must’ve put decaf in the wrong pot..."
And the #1 best thing to say if you get caught sleeping at your desk...
1. In Jesus name, Amen!
If you find yourself running in too many directions, call a time-out!
Ecclesiastes 2:22: What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun?
Ecclesiastes 4:5: The fool folds his hands and ruins himself.
Balance is a fundamental element in creating a healthy lifestyle. You must learn to manage stress with balance in the 5F’s we will look at today.
Successful people have time to spend with their families, time to pursue personal goals, and time to advance their careers. This balance transcends to those we have meaningful associations with and contributes to there development of a wholesome lifestyle as well.
A balanced lifestyle enables us to not only begin well but far more importantly, to end well. God does not intend for us to be shooting starts or firework Christians.
[PSA 16:11] You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Five F’s
Faith
Gives purpose to everything else in life. Without our faith, all else becomes meaningless.
Developed through solitude, prayer, and study.
Ecclesiastes 4:8:
There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. "For whom am I toiling," he asked, "and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?" This too is meaningless--a miserable business!
Clarify and enhance your faith walk. Know what you believe, why you believe, how to walk the walk and talk the talk.
Evaluate your lifestyle and work to see if they fit comfortably with your faith.
Finances
[ECC 5:18] Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him - for this is his lot. [19] Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work - this is a gift of God.
Budget:
Always live on less than you take in.
Write it down, keep records, prioritize (tithe, payments, savings, groceries, recreation, misc)
Plan for the future. Eg. Of pastor who always worked for missions then got old.
Have a long-range plan for continued education and learning.
Set aside time for seminars, workshops, discussion groups, degree programs, book and/or cassette programs.
Do you have career goals that span a five-to-ten year period?
Have you found a job/career which offers enough challenge to keep you stimulated, but not so much as to wear me out.
God did not create us to work for the sake of work but to create and produce and be challenged. This should brings great joy to our lives.
Fitness
To serve, bear fruit, provide for family, enjoy life you need good health.
Developed through proper and consistent good nutrition, exercise, and rest.
Many of our mood swings(irritability, depression, etc.), inability to think and make decisions, lake of stamina both physically and emotionally, children behavioral problems, etc., result from bad diet and lack of exercise.
Diet requires balance (carbohydrates, proteins, good fats) Get these from fresh foods not processed.
Family
Our own family is number one.
They must know practically that they are number one. This takes TIME! TIME! TIME! We’re talking quantity not just quality.
Family must enjoy one another, function together in positive ways
A little girl’s Prayer: The little girl was being punished by making her eat by herself in the corner of the room, the family paid no attention to her until they heard her pray: “I thank Thee, Lord, for preparing a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.”
Develop a network of supportive friends upon whom you can rely on. This is especially important for singles.
Fun
Ecclesiastes 10:15: A fool’s work wearies him; he does not know the way to town.
People who work all the time don’t even know the way to town! They don’t even know the way to the city. That is, they don’t take the time to enjoy even the simplest activities of life; and I’m telling you, that’s foolish. We need to balance our life so we can enjoy those simple things, those most ordinary things of life.
Remember, one of the commandments is to take one day out of seven and REST. A day of rest--a day of worship--is not a suggestion that God gave to us, that’s a commandment! That’s how much it means to God for you to create and maintain this balance to your life.
Your best requires rest. Resistance to rest is a sign of spiritual immaturity. If you don’t take time for rest, your body is going to make time for it. It will just shut down.
Is work more fun than home?
Be the most fun person your kids, spouse could be with.
Fun in all other areas. Live on 70% of your income so you can have some fun activities.
You must schedule REST, RECREATION, and RELATIONSHIPS.
Spend regular time on hobbies and/or other leisure-time activities.
Work towards managing your time more effectively by setting goals and prioritizing your activities for a 5F Balance.
Concluding Text
[PSA 128:1] Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways. [2] You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours. [3] Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your sons will be like olive shoots around your table. [4] Thus is the man blessed who fears the LORD.
