What causes my life to become unbalanced? - Balance - TouchPoints

What causes my life to become unbalanced?

James 3:14-16If you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.

Life becomes unbalanced when you dwell on earthly problems and sinful desires rather than depending on God’s wisdom. Consider your habitual thought patterns when you are diagnosing dysfunction in your life.

1 Timothy 6:9People who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.

Making the pursuit of financial success the central focus of life always leads to unbalanced living.

Hebrews 13:5Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”

Feelings of dissatisfaction often result in an unbalanced life because they cause us to focus too much on what we cannot have, should not have, or will not have. It’s important to meet your own needs for food, shelter, and clothing, but focusing too much on yourself will cause you to neglect one of God’s greatest mandates to you: Help others who are in need. The more you focus on yourself, the more dissatisfied you will become, because you can never get everything you want. As you balance meeting your needs with meeting the needs of others, you will find contentment in caring for others.

2 Corinthians 8:12-14Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have. Of course, I don’t mean your giving should make life easy for others and hard for yourselves. I only mean that there should be some equality. Right now you have plenty and can help those who are in need. Later, they will have plenty and can share with you when you need it. In this way, things will be equal.

Excess often reveals imbalance. Too much of anything means there is not enough of something else: Prioritizing accumulation of wealth can lead to a lack of generosity, but it’s also dangerous to give recklessly. Be wise in how you help others, but be willing and eager to help them.

2 Peter 2:19[False teachers] promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you.

Addiction will lead your life into a downward spiral. Anything that controls you—be it drugs, alcohol, work, or even a hobby—will knock your life out of balance. Only God can control us without destroying us.