Maintaining Balance

Throughout the Bible you notice balance in the counsel of Scripture.  God worked six days and rested one.  There is balance between ceremonial laws and social justice.  Jesus exhibited balance in that He came in the fullness of grace and truth.  Even the earth is perfectly balanced, tilted at just the right angle, at just the right distance from the sun, with just the right mass so that it stays in the proper orbit.  Whole ecosystems must be in balance or they will collapse.  Yet, balance is often missing in the church and in the lives of believers.  I have always struggled with trying to maintain balance in my own life.  Even before ministry the balance of career and family was a weakness on my part.  In the beginning of my time as a pastor the Holy Spirit strongly impressed upon my heart that I had forsaken the two I loved the most, the Father and my wife.  I was so busy doing ministry and working that I was not spending the time I should have with either God or my wife and my relationship with both suffered.  My life was out of balance diminishing my effectiveness for the kingdom, harming my family, and effecting my health.

In the church today there is a lack of balance in the teaching and ministry emphasis of many churches.  It is as if the church has developed the corporate mentality of specialization or worse, marketing a product.  If you are into faith then this is the church for you.  If you are more into grace then this church is for you.  The church down the street is really into social justice but rarely teaches on repentance.  This church is known for it's music but does little or no outreach so you won't be made to feel uncomfortable.  Choose the church which fits your individual preferences and if you cannot find just the right church, just wait and one will started with you in mind. While I am being somewhat facetious, there is a lot of truth in this observation.  Early in my ministry I had a person tell me the best services took place when the preacher never preached and people just praised God in song (lack of balance).  Somewhere along the way we have forgotten about the whole counsel of God.  Yet, Paul told the elders of Ephesus that he had shared with them the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27). 

In order for disciples to be raised-up and communities transformed we need for the church to be balanced in all of it's teaching.  Yes, there are different gifts and different anointings but they should be working together and not competing against one another through specialization and marketing.  With balance comes the tools for a person to develop from being an infant believer to being a disciple of Jesus.  The full counsel of God will challenge how we view ourselves and others.  The whole counsel of God is a must as we seek to see lives transformed and communities won over to Christ.  Let us pray for more wisdom and greater revelation in this time of turmoil and uncertainty in our land.  The church and the world will need the full counsel of God in the days ahead.