Keeping our Balance

Keeping our Balance

Keeping one’s balance is essential to prevent falling down. We do so by paying attention and by being careful. And even then, we still find ourselves on the ground at times.

Keeping balance in the Christian life also needs attention. A wise author who goes by Anonymous wrote a book called “Embracing Obscurity.” As you might guess, it did not make the bestseller list, and the author did not become famous. And that is fine, because that was not his/her aim.

I saved a quote from this book that I’ve read more than once: “We have to be intentional about: (1) remembering our roots, (2) remembering our purpose, and (3) remembering our limits.” I think of this as keeping one’s balance as a Christian in a world that would like to see us cast down. It is an approach that will protect us from pride, self-centeredness, and self-sufficiency.

Let’s review the three points in turn. How does the Christian remember his/her roots? Think back with me to Abraham, previously an idol-worshipper far removed from any promise or Promised Land. It was only because God revealed Himself to Abram and took hold of his life that Abraham “learned” faith in God and traveled to a new place and discovered the blessing of living under God’s rule. As Abraham remembered his roots, he could not dismiss the fact that his life and blessing were due, not to his own efforts, but to the grace of God.

This is true for every believer. We were all saved from idolatry. Our hearts were (and are) naturally and sinfully drawn to worship all the wrong things until we were laid hold of by Christ. The fact that He is now our Love and our Lord is due not to our own goodness or virtue, but to the amazing grace of God that saves sinners from themselves.

We are also remember our purpose, which is to serve as a representative of Christ in the world, together with other believers. We are not here to “do well for ourselves” or to “make a mark” or “leave a legacy.” Those phrases pretend that you exist and God doesn’t. No, we are here to serve the interests of our Lord. We have no “secular” tasks, since every endeavor is for Jesus, even if it sweeping the parking lot. What we do, we do for Jesus, and if we can’t do it for Jesus, then we ought not be doing it.

We also to remember our limits. We serve the Messiah, but we are not messianic ourselves. We are not professionals, or experts. We are simple disciples, learners and followers of Jesus who seek to make much of Him in our own lives and to do so visibly and with humble explanation to others. We do not care if they know our names so long as they know Jesus’ name. May we by anonymous so long as Jesus can be known.

It seems that, as we forget these things, the Christian and the Church lose their balance and fall down.