Is Balance possible? The short answer is yes. Of course there is a much longer answer to help us arrive at balance. In our day there is an amazing amount of shouting for our attention. It is enough to make one’s head spin if we let it.
Have you ever seen a whirling dervish, figure skater or a ballerina spin and spin without losing their balance? I have tried it with (very) limited success. The way to succeed is to fix your eyes on one point outside of themselves. A point on a wall does well. Then they whip their head around with each revolution to return to that chosen point to maintain balance.
It takes practice. I doubt anyone can keep their balance well the first time they try. So how do we apply that idea to the swirl of noise and activities that constantly vies for our attention?
The author of Hebrews put it about as succinctly as anyone. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2 emphasis mine)
Now that is not news for many of us, but choosing what to throw off and what to hang on to is something we can do daily. Focusing on Jesus as our center point stabilizes us like no other thing can. We have to persevere in our practice because the distractions are persistent, even increasing. The good news is that with practice Jesus becomes our internal gyroscope
I really like the song below as a help and a reminder. The title is a link to listen to it on line.
You’re the center of the universe
Everything was made in You Jesus
Breath of every living thing
Everyone was made for You
:Pre-Chorus:
You hold everything together
You hold everything together
:chorus:
Christ be the center of our lives
Be the place we fix our eyes
Be the center of our lives
We lift our eyes to heaven
We wrap our lives around your life
We lift our eyes to heaven, to You
May we all, me included, slow down enough to find our center to help us balance. What does that look like for you?
