Deadly Vipers Part 3: Balance is Bunk

When Paul said following Jesus is a race, I don't think he had in mind the kind of race many of us are running in leadership and discipleship.  And our answer so often for the rat race we find ourselves in is to find better balance.  Mike & Jud have a news flash for us...

"Balance is bunk."

In other words, strive for it all you want, but it ain't happening.  You can't be all things to all people.  You can't get it all done.  You can't give equal time to work and family.  Try all you want...all you'll end up with is more frustration.

The pursuit is not balance - it's proper prioritizing.  Here's what it means...

• Your family knows you have to work.  But, when you're home, be all the way there.  It's so hard to forget about emails, blog posts, voicemails, and phone calls when at home, but proper prioritizing requires it.
• God didn't create you and me with the capacity to do everything well, so why do we pursue it?  You are at your best when you play to your strengths.  Proper prioritizing ensures that you spend the vast majority of your time working in your strengths.
• Take a day off.  Jesus said, "Come to me...and I'll give you rest."  God looked at everything He created, called it good, and rested.  Then, He said, "make sure you do the same thing."  Rest communicates in action our trust that God is sovereign.

As Mike & Jud say:

"The danger of burnout comes when our priorities are not clear and aligned."

Just last night, I asked Lara Beth to help me evaluate how I am using my time and make necessary adjustments.  Life sure is different for us these days and I find myself getting whacked in the head by "the headless sprinting chicken assassin" - not taking a day to rest, not making sure my family knows they are my priority, not making wise decisions on who to meet with and who not to, etc.  Another huge point Mike & Jud make:

"...see (your) life as a portfolio of chapters.  The goal is not to be balanced perfectly all the time, but to look at one's entire life portfolio..."

In other words, some priorities are seasonal.  Some are weighted more in certain seasons than others.   Unfortunately, there is no "autopilot" in leadership or discipleship.

So, how do you prioritize?  How do you fight the assassin of the headless sprinting chicken?

***these posts are my personal takeaways from the book, Deadly Viper Character Assassins, and mix ideas/applications from the book with my own***