Life is a balance of work (serving God) , rest (serving God) and nourishment (serving God). There was a time when I was to busy. I was in college, working 2 jobs, helping lead a puppet ministry and helping lead the junior high youth group. All the things I was doing were “good” things but, I was out of balance. God used my Dad to repeatedly tell me to cut some things out. He’d say I was burning the candle at both ends and it wasn’t good. I ignored the warnings since I thought I was “serving God” with the ministries at church and honoring my parents by going to college and helping with some of the cost. I was crushed when I got very sick and had to lie on the couch for an entire day. When my Dad came home from work that night he walked right up to the couch were I was laying, hit me on the shoulder and said these words that I still remember to this day,
“You punish your body; your body will punish you.” I punished my body by depriving it rest and it forced me to rest. Others have been out of balance in the area of nourishment and exercise and reaped the health problems that accompany such behavior. A loved one recently changed their habits by eating healthier and exercising and praise God within less than a year they were cured of diabetes. No more finger pricks and medication!
The Bible sums up our purpose in the following verses.
Ecclesiastes 2:24-25 “A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?” 5:19 “Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work—this is a gift of God.”
God designed us to work. After all even in the paradise of the garden of Eden Adam had to work. Genesis 2:15 “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”
God designed us to rest and led by example. Genesis 2:2 “By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.”
God made food for us. We should stick to the simple foods He created that our bodies need instead of consuming the man made stuff that has little benefit to the body.
None of us are perfect and we all get out of balance sometimes. Let’s pay attention to the warning signs when things go off kilter and make the necessary and sometimes hard corrections to get back in balance with God’s plan for our lives.
In regard to balance here’s a video from 2001 (sorry about the tracking)….
“You punish your body; your body will punish you.” I punished my body by depriving it rest and it forced me to rest. Others have been out of balance in the area of nourishment and exercise and reaped the health problems that accompany such behavior. A loved one recently changed their habits by eating healthier and exercising and praise God within less than a year they were cured of diabetes. No more finger pricks and medication!
The Bible sums up our purpose in the following verses.
Ecclesiastes 2:24-25 “A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?” 5:19 “Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work—this is a gift of God.”
God designed us to work. After all even in the paradise of the garden of Eden Adam had to work. Genesis 2:15 “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”
God designed us to rest and led by example. Genesis 2:2 “By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.”
God made food for us. We should stick to the simple foods He created that our bodies need instead of consuming the man made stuff that has little benefit to the body.
None of us are perfect and we all get out of balance sometimes. Let’s pay attention to the warning signs when things go off kilter and make the necessary and sometimes hard corrections to get back in balance with God’s plan for our lives.
In regard to balance here’s a video from 2001 (sorry about the tracking)….
