A Bumpy Ride
It's spring in Minnesota and time to take our bikes out of storage. Before the first time we use them, we check the tire pressure to make sure we will have a nice, smooth, secure ride.
Without the tires inflated properly the ride will be bumpy and will increase the wear and tear on the bike.
That sounds like life.
Without proper balance (inflated tires), your life ride is potholed and can't absorb daily bounces and jolting. The wear and tear will eventually affect your body, soul, and spirit.
May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it!
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 TPT
What I LOVE about this verse is the balance Paul talks about: the "whole" of us - spirit, soul, and body.
God cares about the "whole" and the "holy".
Is your life filled with bumps and ruts?
Are you finding that the important parts of life are not smooth or bringing you the satisfaction you thought they would?
It's time to bring intentional balance into your life.
Intentional Balance
When your life is balanced it means that you are intentionally living life centered around the activities that are God-focused and God-inspired.
Intentional = in·ten·tion·al / inˈten(t)SH(ə)n(ə)l / adjective
- done on purpose; deliberate
- chooses to make decisions and act on what is really important
- sets an intention to achieve a specific outcome or result in the future
Have you ever completed a wheel of life exercise? It is a tool that will brings insight into whether you are living your BEST life - balanced and thriving.
(This is just one of the tools used in my workshop The Intentional Woman.)
4 Ways to Be Balanced
1. Refuse to do those things that are selfish and unhelpful.
It’s easy to get caught in pleasing people or yourself instead of pleasing God. Be intentional about putting God first in everything and every relationship.
Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant. Galatians 1:10
2. Be sure your daily activities and priorities line up.
What are your priorities – the most important things to you?
Now look at your day – does it match your priorities?
You need to find the right actions and weed out the distractions.
If the distractions are running the show instead of your priorities, your life is not balanced
3. Healthy balance means there is margin in your life.
Margin = unscheduled time that you can use in whatever way refreshes you or help you get back on track.
Do you wear busyness like a badge of honor or a sign of success?
Think back over the last few days. How much time was spent in being busy? How much margin did you have to regroup, daydream, read, soak in the bath, or go outside?
When and where is the margin in your life?
4. Take time to laugh and play.
When was the last time you cried tears or rolled on the floor with laughter?
A joyful, cheerful heart brings healing to both body and soul.
But the one whose heart is crushed struggles with sickness and depression.Proverbs 17:22 TPT
Describe your face. Does it naturally have a smile or a frown?
What are the things that bring you the greatest joy?
Who are the people who make you laugh?
Go find those people because you need to bring laughter and play time back into your life. It is necessary for your well-being.
A Bumpy or a Smooth Ride
It's time to take a look at the Wheel of your Life. It's eye-opening when you intentionally evaluate if you are balanced or not.
Find out what is causing your bumpy ride.
Investigate which important aspects of your life are draining your energy and bringing stress instead of joy.
You can't make changes and improvements in life if you don't take a closer look at them and are intentional.
Hear from three women who completed the Wheel of Life in the Intentional Woman Workshop:
This was SO good, Becky! It is great content and I can see I want to spend some more time reviewing and considering this lesson because I have a bumpy ride.
This one was hard to do, I mostly forgot about the hurts and pain of the past. I guess this showed me how much I have grown.
The Wheel - oh the wheel! What an eye opener. Great challenge of how can I raise my low areas even a small notch. I am not as balanced as I thought!
Living Life to the Fullest!
I want to encourage you to live a God-designed, God-inspired life to the fullest. That is why I wrote The Intentional Woman Workshop.
This workshop is designed to help you take a look at your life and discover:
- where you life is out of balance
- what is stealing your time
- where you can make better choices
- how to live according to your values
You can live a BALANCED LIFE: adding the "tire pressure" needed to the stressful and unsatisfying areas of life.
You can be an INTENTIONAL WOMAN: making the right choices and weeding out the distractions and unhealthy motivators.
