Over the last year, since starting N-PURSUIT, balance has been one of my most sought-after traits. I will be honest and admit that, most days, balance alludes me. I find that everything from my priority list to my closet appear to have been ransacked by the untamable pressure of time.

  While I was in school, all things were possible. There were twenty-four hours in a day and a short list of things to do. Somewhere along the way, some just call it adult life, my day shrank and my list grew exponentially. Murphy’s law seemed prevalent and anything that could hinder my talent, ability, and sanity seemed to attack many times a day.

  Now while I was distracted with wonderful things, like helping my elders, tutoring a young child, or fighting for the widow and orphan, I was still not fulfilling the complete call the Lord had placed upon me. I knew it was my Christian duty to help others and work where I was needed, but I also knew that the divine dream and passion I was given was vital to my thriving, possibly even crucial to my existence.

  So, after much prayer, I felt even more torn. I was overwhelmed because I knew the Lord was telling me that I couldn’t let any of these things go. For the first time, I understood that while my timing and my emotions felt abused, the Lord really did have a plan. He needed me to do more than the one or two things I felt comfortable with. God needed me to trust, obey, and balance.

  A couple of issues ago, I wrote about priorities. What I’ve realized since then is that balance is quite a bit more important than just the list of my convictions and the order in which I’d like to follow them. The Lord was showing me that life is not simple; it’s far from it. He showed me that to be a good-steward of my time, talent, and treasury I needed balance.

  Balance is the key because the events and circumstances of this world rarely allow things to go as planned. True balance takes the Lord’s calling and purpose, adds it to my idea of priorities, throws in a little chaos and spontaneity for good measure, and then says, “This is manageable. Not by myself, but in the Power I’ve been given, this will be accomplished.”

  This issue deals a lot with the balancing of issues. Whether it’s balancing history and future, liberty and legalism, or complacency and fanaticism, all Christians must know that we’ve got our work cut out for us. Our balance of God and self, relationship and religion, and priorities and power are essential to the establishment of the Kingdom of God. It is from this tight-rope of life that we lead the chase.