This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Saturday Morning Session of the April 1987 Conference.
President Ballard gave a talk on keeping life in balance, which seems like a topic we all need:
As most of you know, coping with the complex and diverse challenges of everyday life, which is not an easy task, can upset the balance and harmony we seek. Many good people who care a great deal are trying very hard to maintain balance, but they sometimes feel overwhelmed and defeated.
A mother of four small children said: “There is no balance at all in my life. I am completely consumed in trying to raise my children. I hardly have time to think of anything else!”
A young father, who felt the pressure of being the family provider, said: “My new business requires all of my time. I realize that I am neglecting my family and church duties, but if I can just get through one more year I will make enough money, and then things will settle down.”…
Brothers and sisters, we all face these kinds of struggles from time to time…I have a few suggestions that I hope will be valuable to those of you concerned with balancing life’s demands.["Yay!" I'm thinking here. "I DO struggle with this so I'd love some suggestions!"]
These suggestions are very basic; their concepts can easily be overlooked if you are not careful.Oh. Well. Yes, to my slight disappointment, they were very basic. Things like: prioritize your family…set short-term goals…read the scriptures and pray daily. I guess I shouldn't have thought there would be some NEW solution. But I liked this insight into WHY those basic things can help us:
Do the basic things and, before you realize it, your life will be full of spiritual understanding that will confirm to you that your Heavenly Father loves you. When a person knows this, then life will be full of purpose and meaning, making balance easier to maintain.In other words, though obedience and diligence are important, it's the spiritual understanding they bring that helps us feel God's love—and it's God's love that gives us the strength and motivation to perform the constant "balancing" necessary. It makes me think that perhaps there IS no permanent way to "balance" our lives—but we CAN have a permanent commitment to keep re-evaluating and keep seeking God's guidance as circumstances change.
Ha! Even as I read I was like, “Yes! Finally! Someone is about to give me the magic answer!” But you’re right. It is encouraging in a way to recognize its part of our mortal condition to often feel this way but all those simple things grant us the increased perspective of feeling His love and hope and of being given new direction “from time to time”.
ReplyDeleteI think "balance" is a man-made idea. I can't find it anywhere in the scriptures.
ReplyDeleteTo the rich young man: Jesus said unto him, “If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell what thou hast and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven; and come and follow Me.”
To Peter and Andrew: And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.
Joshua's statement of faith: And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
I'm getting long winded. :)
I think being full immersed in serving the Lord--in whatever capacity we're called to at the moment--is what He wants from us. I think that our daily scripture study and prayer are meant to help us keep the channel of communication open that we can know and do what is right in each immersive season.
Anyway, that's my $.02
That's an interesting point. I like the idea that we can fully immerse ourselves in our current situation and let God take care of the rest! That is comforting. But even if you're fully in the trenches of motherhood (for example), it seems like you still have to consider how to balance the needs of each child, time with them, time with your husband, etc. It's never obvious (at least it isn't for me), even if you're trying to be fully immersed/committed! As you said, though, an open channel of communication with God is essential for figuring it out--whatever "it" is for each of us :)
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