As a woman, are there days when you feel that your life has gotten out of balance? Between working long hours at the office, rushing to get the children off to school, or writing your latest novel, have you felt that there are just not enough hours in the day to get it all done? You are not alone. Many of us feel the pressures of everyday life more and more these days. Many women are especially sensitive to how full their days have become and how little they seem to accomplish during “normal” waking hours. If you are feeling this way, then it’s probably a good time to take inventory of your life so that you can get back on track.
We’ve all heard the old adage that life is a “balance of mind, body, and spirit.” Hearing that phrase is one thing. Living that principle is quite another in our often hectic world. Many people, both men and women, seek this balance in their lives. The solution can often feel elusive once our lives have gotten off a healthy path.
There are many paths to living a balanced life. A Christian perspective to having a balanced life begins by examining your relationship with God. How close are you to God? Do you seek His wisdom often or are you trying to go through life on your own? We can often feel alone when life becomes overwhelming. A relationship with God means that you are never alone (Romans 8:35; Psalms 91:10-11). The more intimate your relationship with God the more faith you have that He will help you through even the toughest times. Knowing someone is always there who understands what you are going through is a major component in the process of healing and getting our lives in balance.
Often we are plagued by a need to “control” our environment and our lives. Looming deadlines at work and conflicts with our spouse, our families, or people with whom we work are just a few examples of circumstances that can cause our lives to feel “out of control”. In turn, feeling “out of control” increases our anxiety and causes us to search for an end to our frustrations. Left unchecked, anxiety can lead to depression, further complicating our desire for balance.
A relationship with God does not require any special knowledge. Nor must you be anyone other than yourself. Everyone can have a relationship with God. All that is required is that you have a desire to foster your relationship with Him. God can then begin to assist you in receiving what you need in order to live life more fully and more balanced (Luke 11:9-13; 1 John 5:14-15). Reading the Bible on a daily basis is another way to grow your relationship with God. Your faith in allowing God to help you through all aspects of your life will expand as you begin to understand God’s wisdom and His plan for you. As your faith grows, you will begin to experience a positive change in your life. Once the change occurs, you will begin to recapture the “balance” you’ve been missing.
As your life becomes more in synch with God, you will realize that even in times of struggle your life will continue to be balanced if your focus remains on Him. It doesn’t mean that you won’t have to work at keeping focused. You will! We are humans and as such, we will have a tendency to go back to what we know. Trying to do it all ourselves! In time, however, we will learn that our first instinct should be to call on God. Don’t be discouraged! It just takes a little practice and it is time well spent toward leading a healthy and balanced life.
Susan Calloway Knowles is a Licensed Christian Marriage & Family Therapist and former practicing Family Law Attorney. She is also a Christian music Songwriter. Susan’s songs can be found at www.worshipsong.com. Her website is www.susanknowles.com.
Publication date: September 27, 2012