Did you hear about the man who died and went to heaven? When he arrived he was welcomed by Jesus and assigned an angel to get him settled. As the man was being escorted through the streets of heaven he continued to pass mansion after mansion whose walls were made of diamonds, rubies and sapphires, all sitting along beautiful streets of gold. The man asked the angel whose houses these were. The angel named off some recognizable saints such as Peter, John, James, Martin Luther, John Wesley, Mother Theresa, along with many names of people he had never heard of before, people who had no earthly claim to fame.
As they walked past street after street the man noticed that although still magnificent, the mansions were getting smaller and less ornate. Finally they reached a new road and arrived in front of a small wooden one room house, half painted and in need of a front door. “Whose house is this one”, the man asked? Why it’s yours, the angel replied. Mine! “What do you mean … what happened … why is mine so small”, said the man?
Well, the angel replied, that’s all the material you sent.
While some are so busy living for the moment they neglect to prepare for the future, others are so focused on the future that they forget to live in the moment.
Some parents are so concerned about what their children may become that they don’t allow them to enjoy who they are.
We should strive for excellence, but we should not wait until we get everything just like we want it before we enjoy life.
We should not wait until we get everything we want before we enjoy what we already have. In other words:
Don’t wait until you get everything you want before you enjoy what you already have.
Life should be lived, life should be enjoyed, and life should be productive, one day at a time.
That’s what the Bible portrays when referencing: daily bread; joy unspeakable; and reward in heaven.
If all of our striving does nothing to yield peace, joy, contentment, and eternal reward … what real advances have we made?
The Apostle Paul told his young son in the faith, Timothy, that godliness with contentment is great gain. He was evidently speaking to the balance of life.
Today we are going to examine that balance of life.
We will find that life is a process, a journey, a road upon which every person travels through many familiar and some unfamiliar places. Life is filled with both predictable and unpredictable adventures.
Most days the path of life is safe and easy to follow. However, without notice the day can offer a sudden and dangerous curve … this is why life demands we keep our eyes open and our minds alert.
One trouble with this life is that we almost never expect the unexpected!
Perhaps this is why the journey of life was not designed to be taken alone.
Common sense dictates that not every day will be an enjoyable day. However, one of the greatest tragedies of life would be to end the journey, look back and say, “I did not enjoy my life.”
To begin today’s message let’s turn in our Bibles to Genesis, chapter 2.
Today we will define 5 basic elements which we can use to balance the process of life.
Genesis 2:18 And the LORD God said, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him."
1. It’s not good to be alone.
By this statement I do not mean it is not good to have some alone time. Everyone needs alone time. What I mean is what the Bible teaches in many places: It is not good to live life in isolated solitude. This can happen even when we are surrounded by people, connected with others, playing on a team, functioning within a group … all the while alone, unknown and unknowing of others, closed off to meaningful relationships which stretch us, strengthen us, make us whole, and complete.
Even if we have God in our lives … God never intended for His relationship with man to take the place of man’s relationship with man.
Ecclesiastes 4
9 Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor.
10 For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up.
11 Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Ecclesiastes says that two are better than one … it’s not good to be alone.
2. Life is meant to be enjoyed.
Ecclesiastes 3:13 Every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God.
1 Timothy 6:17 … God gives us richly all things to enjoy.
There are some common principles which will help everyone enjoy life.
Colossians 3:21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.
Colossians 3:20 Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.
Ephesians 6:2 "Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with promise:
(By the way: God did not just say, “children, honor …” – adults also need to honor their fathers and mothers to receive the promise of God)
Colossians 3:19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them. (NKJV)
The Amplified Bible says:
Colossians 3:19 Husbands, love your wives
It does not end there … it does not even begin there … what does the Amplified version say in the verse just previous to that one?
Colossians 3:18 ¶ Wives, be subject to your husbands
It can be so much more difficult to enjoy life when the basics are not in balance. Balance is everyone’s responsibility however, it begins with you!
So far we have found that:
1. It’s not good to be alone.
2. Life is meant to be enjoyed.
Now for number:
3. Life is designed to be lived one day at a time.
This is easily understood from scriptures like:
Matthew 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.
Matthew 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
This means that if you messed up yesterday, you get a new chance today … and if you mess up today, you get a fresh chance tomorrow … don’t fret!
In God’s Kingdom We are never more than one day away from all that we need.
4. Life is work.
1 Timothy 6:6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain.
It will take effort on your part to be godly. Ungodliness seems to come easy, and is a common reaction to the pressures of life … godliness however requires strength of character and purpose. Life, at least a godly life, is work! And, life is meant to be productive – God will work with you.
5. The future is an empty place unless you fill it.
Mark 10
29 So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s,
30 "who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life.
The future is what you make it, both in this life and in the life to come!
I close this morning with two important questions to balance your life:
1. Are you enjoying life? If not … what needs to change in you? Work on it. 2. Are you preparing for the future? If not, why not? Think about it.
