Blessed Are the Balanced

by Linda Ray Center

This time of year is the season of holidays. With Christmas, New Year’s, and Valentine’s Day right around the corner, it is easy to get lost in the excessive busyness of the holidays.

Perhaps, you are worried about staying calm through the upcoming holidays, with meal preparation, shopping, holiday gatherings, traveling, or the other hundred things that need attention.

When we get overly busy, we feel like we are out of control. All we want is for it to stop. But how? Balance is the

key! We desperately need order and peace, not only during the holidays but every day.

Recently, I overheard a preacher describe BUSY as Buried Under Satan’s Yoke. It is easy to get buried under things of the world—not necessarily evil things, but distractions from spending time with God and family. I don’t know about you, but whenever I find myself too busy, I feel like that person under Satan’s yoke. I lose my focus on what is important until I start practicing balance again.

Is there a way to find balance during jam-packed times?

I learned the balancing lesson the hard way. The excessive activity caused me such anxiety that I would 32 // December 2021

lash out at my loved ones. It also took its toll on my health. After years of an overly packed schedule, I realized that my lifestyle needed to change. Now, I limit the busyness of my days by cutting back on activities, and I am learning to say no more often.

Memorizing 1 Peter 5:8 has also helped me to be more aware of how I spend my days. “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

Here are three helpful tips to soften stressful holidays:

No one person can avoid stress, but Jesus came to bring us His peace. The Hebrew word for “peace”—shalom—is often used in reference to an appearance of calm and tranquility. Ask God to help you slow down when you are running on empty and find a balanced schedule.

You are considered financially rich among nations if you have a roof over your head and food on the table. Try buying a few bags of groceries and dropping them off at a food bank or leaving them at a neighbor’s door who cannot drive. Loving others gives us a sense of meeting needs instead of being busy.

Changing a busy lifestyle takes self-control and awareness to improve. I am not sure what your daily schedule looks like, but I do know this: God’s grace makes our view of things more hopeful.

Instead of excessive activity during the upcoming holidays, let us be mindful that balance brings peace.

About The Author Linda Ray Center writes about everyday life with God, others, and self, as an author, freelance writer, and blogger at www.lindaraycenter.com. She resides in charming Chattanooga and will showcase her grandchildren’s pictures at any given moment.

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