Work + Life + Ministry Balancing

Elder Daniel Lim, 15/07/2011
Ephesians 5:15-17, Colossians 1:9-14

Introduction
What does 'balance' mean?
It does not mean a state of equilibrium and tranquality.
It means having the right balance - like a balanced diet.
There is no such thing as a balanced life. In fact life seems imbalanced, but it is divine imbalance. As you live your life for God, more balancing needed.

Discover what God has in store for you as stated in Colossians 1:9-14

Questions we may ask:
- How do I know I'm having the right ingredients in my life?
- How do I manage the various important aspects of my life?
- How do I get the energy to do so much?
- What are God's promises and help available to me in the midst of conflicting demands and challenges?

A SIT - Our Position in Christ
In both passages in Ephesians and Colossians, common instruction to 'understand what the will of the Lord is"

When we cease work, we 'sit'.

Qn: Who are you when you are seated? Who are you at the end of the day when you're not working or teaching your children or rushing your assignment or project?
List down all the roles you play in life (Eg husband/ wife, parent, son/daughter, salesman, lawyer/ pastor/ worship leader/ usher/ brother/sister, etc). Which role is most important to you?

1. Know who you truly are

First: Your most important role is as a child (son/daughter) of God. Colossians 1:12, Ephesians 2:6, 7

Challenge in balancing "Work/Life/Ministry" comes about because of the many roles we all play. However, over-emphasis on any one (Work/Life/Ministry) can be detrimental to your real identity.
For example, if a person's thinks his most important role is as a salesman, then when there is conclict between work/family/ministry, the work always wins. And sometimes, this harms the person and those around him.

You may be a pastor, a student, a big boss but nothing in these roles compare to the high calling that you have as a child of God.

Qn: Today, do you feel that the circumstances of your life have dominated you instead of you dominating it? How many roles that you play overshadow who you truly are?
Remember who you are - a child of God, partakers of a glorious inheritance, called to dominate, strenghtened with might, delivered from darkness and conveyed into the Kingdom of His love.

2. Determine your Non-negotiables
Eph 5: 'Walk circumspectly' - It means to be watchful. We need to be watchful that we are building our lives from inside out and not outside in. The things you do do not make you who you are. You do things because of who you are.

A Christian should Determine 4 Non-negotiable in life:
a Loves God - Inner Life
b Relates to Others - Family, relationships
c Productive - Work
d Serves God - Ministry


The above 4 need not be in equal quantity bit they should all characterise a Christian's life at any one time.

Qn: Do you have non-negotiable essentials in all above 4 areas of your life?

B WALK - Our Performance as Co-workers
Performance doesn't change who we are. Whether we are a top boss or janitor, we are all equal because we are a child of God.

However, because we have a high calling to be sons of God, we must take every opportunity to improve ourselves so that we may "walk worthy of the Lord".

Espesians 5:16: We all have limited time whether we are young or old, rich or poor.

6 practical traits of many fruitful christians
1  Speed
Speed is neither rush nor rashness. It is efficiency - doing things as slow as it is needed to be good but in the quickest time possible.
Procrastination is buying time on credit and like anything bought on credit, it comes with interest. Do not think something will become easier if procrastinate & do it later.

2  Simplify
Sometimes, you need to simplify a part of your ambition in order to fit time in for ministry or to simplify your ministry to fit more of your family.

3  Single-mindedness
Being single-minded means to pursue certain goals in each non-negotiable area of your life. Sadly this mainly applies to work but it should apply to our family and personal walk with God.

4  Scheduling
What is worse than busyness? It is messy busyness!

a. Plan the Predictable
Plan your day/week/month
Allocate time to non-negotiable areas of your life
b. Create space for the unpredictable
Things that require urgent attention that can upset your schedule.

5  Stamina
Build your stamina by learing to accept increasing demands & pressures.

6  God's Seasons
We need to discern the seasons of God in our life right now.
Never presume your timing is God's timing. To discern God's seasons

C STAND - Our posture amidst challenges
Challenges come from (a) Conflicting demands, (b) Competition and (c) even Self-inflicted.

Ephesians 6: 13: "....having done all, to stand"

4 types of Christians
1 Some are like Balloon: Caried by the wind, connected to God by a thin line that can be easily broken. Every now & then the balloon becomes delfated and needs injection of helium again
2 Some are like Wheelbarrow: Won't move until they are pushed
3 Some like a Kitten: Always looking to be cuddled
4 What God is looking for: A Rock for God to build His church. What does a rock do when current hits it? It does nothing except to stand.
Remember Moses in front of the Red Sea with the Egyptian army behind. God told Moses to cease from all actions but to just stand still & see the salvation of God: Exodus 14:13.

2 things we can do to overcome the world and its challenges
1 Enlist God's help by faith
Most conflicts & challenges revolve around time. We are limited by time but God is not.
We don't just manage our time by skills but we need to learn to manage our schedule by faith. Psalm 31:15 'My times are in Your hand'
Learn to allow God to work out a miracle (Joshua 10:14)


2 Enter into God's rest by Prayer
God worked for 6 days but rested on the 7th day. Man was created on the 6th day. Man began his life with rest. We are to enter work week from a posture of rest.

The way to enter your week from a posture of rest is to learn to pray over our week. Through prayer we rule over the circumstances ahead of us. Pray over each role and circumstance. Entrust it to God. Don't fret over it and you won't lose sleep (Mark 4:26-29)

True rest comes from knowing that we can rely on God to give us the growth we so need in every area of our life.