iShare from Ephesians

n Wednesday evening I had the privilege of addressing the grade 8 graduating class of College Park Elementary School. During the past year, I served as class chaplain and regularly visited Grade 8 on Friday mornings to share a weekly devotional. At the beginning of the year, together we gleaned insights from Steve Covey’s, “THE 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE TEENS” and we closed the year studying biblical truths as found God’s Word. We also used as a supplementary text, “Christwise Discipleship Guide for Teens.” Time in the classroom with our young people was truly a blessing but it came with a major challenge. The hours of Friday mornings are critical for Sabbath preparation, but Grade 8 visits were of equal importance and learning to plan and schedule these devotionals made it possible for me to carry out both my pastoral and administrative duties.
 
One of the chapters in Covey’s book entitled “Sharpen the Saw.” Abraham Lincoln is quoted as saying, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four hours sharpening the axe!” Lincoln was referring to the concepts of “working smart versus working hard” and “taking time for renewal in order to be effective.” Question, have you ever felt out of balance, stressed-out and completely exhausted? I believe that all of us could answer yes at one time or another in our lives. All of us struggle with the need of personal renewal due to being out of balance in one of the four dimensions of life: our brain, our body, our heart, and our soul. Speaking of balance, all four dimensions are inter-connected and when we are out of sync with one, it affects all others.
 
Speaking of dimensional balance, I love reading Luke 2:52 which shares the balance that Jesus achieved in his youth and young adult years, “And as Jesus grew up, he increased in wisdom, and in favor with God and people.” Here it is in one verse, the multi-dimensional balanced development that Jesus achieved in the physical (he grew up), in the mental (he increased in wisdom), in the emotional (he had favor with people), and spiritual (in favor with God). If Jesus is our role model, the author and finisher of our faith, the answer to all our questionings then we need to imitate his life of victory and balance.
 
What does living a victorious balanced life look like? In the physical dimension we will value a healthy lifestyle. Exercise, eating a healthy diet, eating with moderation, rest, and relaxation are pillars to build upon. In the mental dimension we will be life-long learners, seeking knowledge and gaining wisdom from God above. Reading, creating, and enjoying stimulating hobbies can be beneficial to one’s overall health and our hobbies can also be helpful in making friends for Jesus. In the emotional dimension we will strive for good mental health. This includes healthy relationships with others, learning to love ourselves as a cherished child of God despite our human failures and faults. Thank God, we have a friend in Jesus! We will also seek the betterment of humanity through a life of service. In the spiritual dimension we will value a closer walk with God. Taking time to fellowship with God through prayer, reading of scripture, worshipping corporately with the brethren, and witnessing to the love of Jesus with the giftedness that God has blessed each of us with.
 
Today if balance is missing in your life, consider with me, taking meaningful steps to improve the overall balance of well-being that the Creator desires for us. I believe the beloved disciple John was thinking of balance when he shared the following scripture as found in 3 John 2 with the early Christian believers, “Dear friend(s), I pray that you are doing well in every way and that you are healthy, just as your soul is healthy.