NEWSLETTER 046 MESSAGE

Message: Is Your Christian Life Balanced?

“For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.” Acts 20:27

Paul was a man who proclaimed the whole Word of God. He did not hide or downplay truth that was difficult or embarrassing. He did not focus on personal interests. He could be very blunt and confrontational on issues but he presented a well-balanced message.

Balance is something that is hard to find in life. When we look at the various aspects of Christian life it is easy to pick what we like and downplay the rest. There is Bible reading, memorization, praise and worship, prayer, Bible study, church attendance, etc. And within each category there are many subdivisions. For example, in Bible study it is entirely possible to study one or two high interest topics and ignore the rest.

Yet, if we are going to grow healthy and mature, we need to maintain not only a balance in the main categories but also in the subjects within categories. The task can seem overwhelming and depressing. We can be tempted to give up before we even begin. Satan would love for us not to begin at all. If he can’t have that, he will try to get us overbalanced and into extreme in an area. Truth taken to extreme tends to become error. There must be balance.

And so we come to a word that is not appreciated in today’s society: self-discipline. There are parts we probably really enjoy and there are parts we find dull. Some people really enjoy prayer but may find Bible study - unless it’s on the topic of prayer - to be dry. Others really like to study the Bible but may find they don’t have the time for praise and worship [or they may find they only want to study the Bible on a few topics and ignore everything else].

How can we find time in our busy world to balance all that we need to be doing spiritually? The answer to that is as individual as you are. Each of us is different and we have to work out what will work for us. Certainly we may spend more time on our special interests but we cannot afford to neglect other things. We must work out a well-balanced program...and it must be practical. It is no good if we give up under a heavy load after a few weeks or even days!

As we consider balance and our personal time schedules we need to remember that we are spiritual beings; therefore, all of our life is spiritual. We don’t really have compartments except in how we think. Depending on your situation you may find time for praise, worship, prayer, memorization, etc. when driving to work or at work [depending on what kind of work you do, of course]. Personally, most of the blogs I write on the web site are handwritten during my lunch break or else they would not get done. We have to be creative while not taking away from the jobs we are doing. Somethings require our full attention; others are rather mindless.

Don’t overload yourself but be serious and committed. Remember, it is better to do a little consistently than a whole bunch once in awhile. And don’t tell yourself you have no time if you spend 3-4 hours a night watching TV!

Announcements

Last month two new reports were posted on our site: Why Do Many Christians Suffer Financially? and Why Did God Restrict Sex To Marriage?

We are still working on the new course Bible Study Methods plus other projects. Soon Rev. Davis’s works on Prepositions, Daniel’s Seventy Week, and the Bible and Civil Government will be available. Also, there will be collections of poems by Mrs. Shirley Davis available for purchase in PDF. This includes the beginning of the massive project: The Bible In Rhyme. The Bible In Rhyme puts the chapters and stories of the Bible in poetic form [the book of Matthew itself has over 80 different poems]. Look for them coming soon.

Before the end of this month we plan to have an RSS link to our site. For those of you with RSS readers or access to Yahoo and MSN, this is a great development. You will be able to stay updated on new reports and courses without having to keep checking the web site. Watch for further details!

God bless you,
Glenn Davis
Free Bible Study Lessons