Living a healthy life consist of more than eating healthy and exercising. It also consists of finding balance in our everyday living. Many of us fill our day with too many things on our to do list. We cram so much to do in the few hours we have each day. Then we become frustrated and overwhelmed when half of the things on our to do list, does not get done. We work long hours and then go home and work some more. Most of us are stressed out and overworked. We find ourselves on a never-ending cycle that we do not know how to stop. No time is taken to just relax or rest to release some of the stress.
Stress is a big part of our lives. Everyone deals with some form of stress, it is unavoidable. You can even do something you love and become stressed. The definition for stress is physical, mental, emotional strain or tension. (www.gotquestions.org) We need to have balance in our lives. Our lives should not only consist of work and home, but also the spiritual and rest. God made the world in 6 days and rested on the 7th day. Jesus went off by himself numerous times to get rejuvenated and talk to his father for godly counsel. We have one life to live and it is up to us to take care of ourselves. If Jesus knew how to have balance in his life, then we need to learn how to follow suit. Balance is necessary to lessen the stress in our lives. When we live a well-balanced life, we are more effective at work, home, and church. No one is effective when they are tired an worn out.
The world tells us we must work ourselves to death to achieve our goals. In Matthew 6:33 it says, “But more than anything else, put God’s work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well. God says put him first and you will not have to work so hard trying to achieve your goals. The key to having everything you need is to do the will of God. Go where he tells you to go and do what he tells you to do. Then God will open the doors of heaven and pour you out a blessing you will not be able to contain. All he wants is for us to be obedient and trust him. We need to change our mindsets and believe that God has more than enough to provide for each one of us. I truly believe that what is for you, is for you. God already has a plan for each one of us, he is just waiting on us to be obedient. In Proverbs 16:20 it says, “God blesses those who obey him; happy the man who puts his trust in the Lord.” Our obedience unlocks the door to God’s blessings.
Since I am on this healthy living journey I have learned that balance is required in all areas of our lives. We need to monitor our stress. Too much stress can kill you. Stress plays havoc on our bodies. Many diseases are caused by stress, such as high blood pressure, strokes, heart attacks to name a few. We always find time to work and to provide for our family’s needs. Now is the time to find time for ourselves. Today go acquire a hobby, spend time in meditation with God, take yourself to the movies, read a book or just do nothing. Sometimes we need to step away from our everyday lives and do something to rejuvenate our body, mind and spirit. God wants us to have prosperous, positive lives. He wants us to have balance. Too much of anything is not good for us.
LSW
Linda Sharp-Williams 