By Doug Creamer

A friend posted a picture on Facebook of his beautiful backyard. There is a swing in a serene location and he said he felt it calling him to come and rest. My friend has worked hard both in the natural and in the spirit all his life. He deserves an opportunity to rest. I can easily imagine my friend communing with his Father on that swing. I love beautiful, quiet places where I can be with my Father and listen for His voice.

Most of my life, I have struggled with resting. I was always good at resting when we went to the beach. I was not so good at resting in my daily life. I believe I was a workaholic. I worked long hours for most of my career. It wasn’t until late in my career that I began to learn to release and let it go. I recognize the pattern in others because I used to live that way. It’s not healthy. It’s a lie that we believe that we have to do all this work to prove ourselves or because no one else can do it as good as we can.

There is another lie that catches other folks that is just as wrong. Some people love God but they believe that they don’t need to do any work for His kingdom. They believe that other people can do the work. I have never met a pastor who told me he had too many volunteers. There is always work that needs to be done, and God intends for each person in the family of God to help get the work done.

There is also work that needs to be done in reaching out to the world around us. Jesus was constantly moving from village to village, helping people and reaching out to the broken hearted and sick people. Look around you. Our world is still broken and in need of a savior. You have the Good News in your heart that the world is hungry to hear. Jesus needs people like you and me to share His love and hope. Jesus said the fields are ripe for harvest but there are few workers willing to do the work.

Some people work tirelessly doing way more than their share of the work, while others sit around and fail to offer any help. What we need is balance. I know that some people physically can’t help with some of the work. That doesn’t mean you can’t help in other ways. Maybe you could visit someone who is shut in and lonely or read to children. There are so many simple and practical ways you can make a big difference.

For those who carry so much of the load, you need balance, too. Maybe instead of trying to do everything yourself, you could help encourage others to become engaged in serving in the body of Christ. You can train, guide and encourage them to participate, which in turn will allow you the opportunity to rest.

I believe that developing a healthy balance in all areas of our lives will help us live longer and more fulfilled lives. The truth is that we all need times to rest and be alone with God to recharge our batteries. When we keep our own batteries fresh then we will have more to give to others. God wants us to connect more with Him.

I believe we need to get proper rest, eat healthy food, stay physically active, take care of our mental health and make sure our spirits are being fed the Word of God. Each of these things takes time. We have to avoid being overly engaged and make sure we are taking care of ourselves. If we overlook the critical balance of self-care then we will be less effective in our ability to serve in God’s kingdom.

I want to encourage you to examine your life and see if you have a well-balanced physical, mental and spiritual life. Are you taking good care of your temple? Are you eating right and getting exercise? Are you working to reduce your stress, worry and anxiety, and maintain good mental health? How is your spiritual life? Do you read your Bible and pray? Are you connected with a local church and are you serving in some capacity? God needs you to be a beacon of hope and life, but that is difficult if your life is out of balance. Ask God to help you develop the proper balance so you can be effective and balanced in all the areas of your life.

Contact Doug Creamer at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041 or doug@dougcreamer.com.