“Now it was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer with God. And when day came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, who He also named as apostles …” Luke 6:12-13 (NASB)

Grabbing my mountain bike covered in dust and spider webs, I ventured to the trails, feeling like a kid again.

Why am I so wobbly? Have I forgotten how to shift gears? Yes, it appeared so. The trail was several miles long, and while my legs hadn’t endured those paths in a while, I mustered up enough courage to start pedaling. Determined to be brave, I knew balance would come once I started moving.

Finding balance in our everyday lives is not always easy. We juggle so much: families, work, friendships, ministry, hobbies, chores. With much demanding our attention, sometimes the fun, adventurous things get forgotten and collect dust because we’re trying to get everything else done. Before we know it, we can become overwhelmed and feel imbalanced.

I can quickly find myself lacking balance when I don't pause to pray and instead keep saying “yes” to so many things when I know I should say “no.”

Perhaps your plate is full of taking kids to extracurricular activities, tackling that never-ending pile of work projects, or caring for an aging parent in a new season of life. You can never seem to find time to catch your breath. Maybe you put everyone and everything before yourself because it feels selfish to make time for yourself.

But what if we were brave enough to choose balance?

The truth is: I think we're all brave. Even if we're a little shaky — like me getting on my mountain bike — as we move forward with Jesus, we will find the right rhythm and balance.

“Now it was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer with God. And when day came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also named as apostles …” (Luke 6:12-13).

Jesus knew how to balance. Putting everything aside, He knew when to rest. He understood the need to get away and spend time alone with His Father. And after He rested, He continued with His work, refreshed. Jesus' trip to the mountain to pray, which set His priority the next day to choose His apostles, is a beautiful picture of balance.

I can picture myself trying to pedal my bike up that mountainside to get to Jesus. As I catch my breath, I imagine Him saying, “Sit and rest awhile.” And once rested, I can find clarity on what I should say “yes” to and when to say “no.”

Finding balance is not about reaching perfection and checking everything off our lists. Instead, we find balance when we’re brave enough to say a necessary “no.”

Balance is embracing new seasons.
Balance is choosing to dust off and bravely follow those buried dreams.
Balance is going off to the mountain to pray.

Sometimes the bravest thing we can do to find balance in life is choose to pause. Pause to pray. Pause to rest, just like Jesus.

God, may we pause to rest in You. When our lives feel unbalanced, may we have the courage to step away to seek You in wholehearted prayer. In You, we find true rest. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Today’s devotion writer, Melanie Connatser, is a member of COMPEL Training. You can find writing tips, inspiration and community when you follow COMPEL on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

FOR DEEPER STUDY

Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (NIV).

What is one thing that’s off balance in your life that you can let go of so you can rest more freely? We would love to know in the comments!

© 2023 by Melanie Connatser. All rights reserved.