What are the benefits of living a balanced life?

2 Peter 1:5-7Make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.

A balanced life can be characterized by a wide variety of good qualities that reinforce one another. The sequence in these verses begins with a focus on God’s promises and progresses through a long-term development of faith, moral living, increasing knowledge, growing self-control, expanding endurance, and deepening love. God’s promises motivate us toward transformed lives and godly character.

Jeremiah 6:16This is what the Lord says: “Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Jeremiah lamented that the people of Judah refused to listen to God’s wisdom and change course even as they were on the brink of ruin because of their sin. When the Holy Spirit controls our minds and directs our lives, we live in balance; that is, we live with a proper perspective on life. This includes pausing and observing at moments of decision, discerning what God would have us do, and living out the wisdom we discover. Recognize that the peace and contentment this creates in our souls comes from God.