Balance is a delicate state of being; a beautiful concept, born when God said, “let there be…” thereby calling the world into existence. Balance has varied meanings. The definition you hear depends on whether an accountant, an artist, a scientist, a mother, or a mathematician is speaking.
In life we may see brief evidences of balance. A ballerina’s split in the air, a bird in flight, a baby’s first steps, a dancer’s swirl, and even a mother engrossed in prayer, all portray the beauty of balance. It is intangible. It is pure. It is sometimes hard to achieve and maintain; the slightest disturbance will throw it off.
This single setting is incapable of exploring balance to the full extent that it deserves, but for the sake of our conversation, we need to ask ourselves, “What does it mean to achieve balance in my life?” The scientist may say we never can achieve absolute balance, others believe that we can achieve some kind of balance. The Bible, through the words of the wisest man on earth gave us an ideal euphemism, he says, “There is a time for everything.”
We will limit the meaning of balance to the artist’s or designer’s perspective. From this viewpoint, balance means there is a harmonious distribution between the objects, shapes, or color that make up the art. A chef achieves balance with the right mix of ingredients. A dancer, the right mix of movements and music. You, the right mix of…? I would like to associate this harmonious distribution to the physical, intellectual and spiritual aspects of our life. These are the essentials necessary to make your life an attractive arrangement. By adding the right things to, or subtracting them from your life, you may be able to achieve your balance. Therefore, take an inventory on your life.
Let us follow the principle. A piece of artwork is complete when it has balance; it is visually appealing. Everything that gives the composition its look or feel, harmonizes to make the art beautiful. In the same light, everything in your life should harmonize to make your life a beautiful arrangement, full of vitality, hope, purpose and wisdom. That is, if you have the right things.
In every aspect, we are designed with balance in mind. Two common types of balance in art are symmetrical and asymmetrical. Physically, from your head to your toe, you are an arresting expression of symmetrical beauty (even asymmetrical). Your physical balance and beauty is just right for you, according to God’s standard. He does not use the face to measure the heart because the face is an inferior tool when it comes to measuring hearts. Internally, our systems, nervous, respiratory, etc work to maintain harmony. But, when it comes to the other aspects of your life the intellectual and the spiritual how do you measure up? Just as artists use a variety of tools to make the composition appealing, we also need to develop the mind and the character. Then, our lives will become a harmonious arrangement on this earth, pleasing to God and bringing joy to others.
Developing your intellect through schooling, teaching yourself, and reading the Bible more, will undoubtedly add dignity to the composition of your life. Many people fulfill the schooling responsibility, but the wisdom found in the Bible is not added to the composition. A mind saturated with Biblical wisdom will be able to face the competition confidently because David declares, “Thy word is lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” The word of God will change the composition of your life and bring you harmony. It will remove doubt and replace hope. It will grant you faith and cancel fear. Every disharmonious life, can become a harmonious arrangement by living from the promises and principles found in God’s word.
As much as I hate to remember, I cannot forget when I had vertigo. I was dizzy and tumbling over due to issues in my inner ear. I then learned that something in my inner ear keeps the body stable. It was there all along keeping me stable on my feet, but I did not know. When I am happy, jobless, rich, employed, sad, annoyed, poor, sick…it is there. That is just like spiritual balance, it keeps us settled, no matter what’s happening in your life or around you.
Having spiritual balance is finding the spiritual core of yourself. Everything about you should emerge from that core. You have to find your center in God—that center is where faith is housed. Achieving balance is about settling yourself in the palm of the Almighty and resting confidently—faith. In His palm, no storm can tilt you over. Faith is the epitome of balance.
Life has too many hands dragging us all over the place, and yes we may never be able to find an absolute state of equilibrium in all things. However, spiritual poise will settle your inner core even when you are dragged about. To find spiritual harmony is to heed the instructions God already gave us. First, He said, “Obey my commandments.” Second, He said, “Pause and worship,” every day. Thirdly, He said, “Have faith”; with faith, you can have anything you want according to God’s will and win the competitions of your life. Obedience, rest, worship, and faith are the right mix to achieve your balance. God said He “will keep in perfect peace all who trust in [Him], all whose thoughts are fixed on [Him]!” That is balance; peace will make any arrangement beautiful.
Martha was busy cooking and doing work around the house while Mary was sitting at the feet of Jesus. Organizing the home, finding time to do everything, satisfying everybody’s needs is not necessarily balance. Worship is at the center of balance. The more genuine our worship, the more stability we find, even in a messy house and a messy world.
Begin by emulating Jesus’ life. He had faith, he worked, traveled, ate, slept, prayed, worshipped, helped others, hung out with family and even enjoyed a few parties. That was the harmonious arrangement of His life, and what an admirable composition it was. “Jesus grew in wisdom [intellectual] and in stature [physical] and in favor with God and all the people [spiritual].” Prioritize your duties, sacrifice your wants for your needs, compromise with people, utilize your resources, separate the distractions, agonize in prayer, have faith and then settle your self in the palm of the Almighty. Make your life a really exquisite arrangement.
2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline” (NLT).
References: Psalm 119: 105, Luke 2:52, Ecclesiastes 3: 1, Isaiah 26: 3
Art: Avocet Brooks
Finding Fortunes 
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