The Balancing ActEsimerkki

Letting God Lead

Maybe you’d call yourself a planner. Maybe you’re more spontaneous. Either way, you can probably think of times when following a plan–and following it consistently over a significant period of time–worked out really well for you. I hope you’ll see that to ensure the health of all seven spheres of your life, it’s crucial to come up with a plan to nourish each area–or to use our analogy from Genesis 41, to fatten your "cows."

Proverbs 1:7 tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and in order to live the abundant life Jesus came to bring, we need to find wisdom from God’s Word for every part of this multifaceted life so that our values in one area positively impact every other area. We also gain wisdom and perspective when we acknowledge that this life is not our own but the Lord’s. The psalmist writes, "The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it." (Psalm 24:1) Every aspect of life is a gift from God requiring His guidance and direction. As we’ve already said, God is either Lord of all, or He’s not Lord at all.

Some people think it’s impossible to have all seven areas of life healthy at the same time, but that’s just not true. The God who created us knows that for us to be fulfilled, we need to enjoy seven healthy spheres of life, and this is possible with a deliberate approach to obedience. We need a solid plan, and we need to commit to consistently sticking to it. A program is better than willpower. You need a rigorous "feeding plan" to fatten your "cows," and God’s Word provides the food–the wisdom and instruction–for every aspect of life: faith, fitness, field, finances, family, friendships, and fun.

Note that we shouldn’t confuse the amount of time a specific area of life requires, with its importance. All seven areas are essential, but not all take the same amount of time to feed. For example, it may take a few minutes of the day to nourish a relationship, but it takes hours to make money. That doesn’t mean work is more important than relationships.

Perhaps God has highlighted an area of your life that you need to yield completely to Him in this season. Please don’t delay. He loves you unimaginably, and He longs for all of you. As your Creator, He also knows how best to nourish every part of your multifaceted, interconnected life. May you lean on Him, more and more, for wisdom and insight, and may His joy be your strength for the journey ahead.

This plan was adapted from the series, The Balancing Act, on RightNow Media. To find out more, visit: https://www.rightnowmedia.org/af/get-access