Keeping Your Balance
The concept of keeping everything in balance is commonplace. It is often said for how one eats to stay healthy and in shape, people say it about the moderation of alcohol use, it is said about so many things with the hope of living fully, yet with some sort of guideline to not be too rigid and enjoy life. For me, there are things that come easily and naturally, and then others where I feel to keep balance is similiar to walking on a highwire in the wind, with no net or pole.
This Christian walk can be trying and figuring out the balance between two opposing constructs may be a lifelong feat: grace juxaposed to justice, the heartfelt sincerity and selflessness of one's actions compared to the deeply cruel and evil intensions of another. The thing is that we do not live in a world of balance. We go through this life with rocky seas and calm waters. There will be people who come across our paths, not to build us up and empower, but to ruthlessly display the lack of love they do not have for themselves or God. We can solely be accountable to our own reactions, to our own deep inner place of peace, to that still small voice inside that tells us we are loved and valued for who we are. Beyond measure. Beyond any fathomable reasoning we may have. Our recognition of humility that comes when we know without any doubt that we are here for a purpose, it is this knowing that keeps a semblance of balance.
And yet there are those who walk the genuine path of kindness, of love, of mercy, of humility, of prayer, and in doing so take part in shining a light in a world of darkness and pain. Hopefully often we are surrounded by friends, loved ones, and even complete strangers that affirm, shed hope and bring joy. There are those honorable ones that live from the heart, give support and strength, and pray for one's renewal.
I have never seen myself as a typical Christian. Not in the way I see the numerous beacons of light in world. The people I know...the Karo's and the Amelia's, the Carol's and the George's, the Remington's and the Dick's that give forth of themselves everyday to a ministry they are called and live into. They carry a brightness and consistency of hope to those around them. Its a blessing to witness, even sometimes from afar, and at times through small windows that Facebook provides. Some of us are better at keeping that balance. Better at straddling a foot in two worlds...in the world and not of it. It is when I am struggling to be who I am intended to be, to overcome the sadness that the world places on my shoulders, (or I do) that I am thankful so see others living into the Light of Christ.
Living with compassion, courtesy, and not returning evil for evil, but blessing others (paraphrase mine, 1 Peter 3:8-9) encourages blessing for others, as well as ourselves. At times this can be a challenging and heart-wrenching discipline to not want to act or desire justice, when grace and compassion are what is needed. When doing so we put to death our carnal nature and are made alive by the Spirit (paraphrase mine, 1 Peter 3:18).
So when you are confronted with the things or people in life that are trying to pull you away from the confidence you have in Christ, or trying to darken that light in which God ordained in you...remember that there is absolutely no one and no thing that can seperate you from the all-encompassing love of God. We have been picked up and brushed off in the depths of that depravity and have been made whole. We may not always have perfect balance or display the sinless life, but there is always a net to catch us.
