Day 8 - Matthew 25:31-46

This post was written by Julie Coons:

Balance…For us women, attaining balance is an ever-present struggle. Just look on the covers of magazines geared toward women and I bet a high percentage will have some article claiming to have all the answers to mastering “balance”. Take time for yourself…get a massage…get away for the weekend…make YOU a priority. I used to buy into this and wonder, “What is wrong with me? I never have time for just me, why can’t I grab an afternoon to do what I want? Why can’t I watch a movie in the middle of the day? Why can’t I run to Borders and just sit and read? Why can’t I even go to the bathroom by myself?” The answer is found largely in the fact that we have young children, my husband has a demanding full-time job, we are active with the church and the kids’ school, and we simply love people. When I came to the realization that “balance”, at least the type of balance the world says I need, is not within my grasp, I felt as if the weight of the world was lifted from my shoulders.

In Matthew 25:40, Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” It’s not about me or my time. It’s about my time with our God and how I can serve others out of pure love for Him. I don’t have to have “balance,” all I need is to love others and to care for “the least of these brothers”. Now of course this doesn’t mean that every waking moment is geared toward solving hunger and homelessness. But what it does mean is that it isn’t all about me. I don’t have to worry about my needs or my wants, because if I am walking with the Lord He will provide for me so that I can provide for others, and this includes time for me to refresh and to rest. God wants us all to be His sheep, but for me, I had to give up my quest for balance by the world’s standards and claim His promises for my life as the only balance needed.

(By the way, I did get away for a movie in the middle of the afternoon yesterday with some friends, and it was great. It was a chick flick and I cried all the way through it. I loved it!)