Balanced—Life As It Should Be
Bipolar—Life As It Is
Which brings greater happiness?
Is happiness the goal?
Is “balanced” the goal?
“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.” —–His Book
Most effort in life is spent trying to achieve balance.
Most advice from counselors directs us to work for balance.
What do we think balance looks like?
—smooth, fewer extremes, not too radical, not too placid
—financial: retirement will finally bring balance after a lifetime of work
—financial: savings, IRA’s, “guaranteed” income you can count on, balanced balance sheets
—emotional: the right advice, more advice, the right therapist, the right medication
—relational: friendships, “the” spouse to live with happily ever after
—physical: health, fitness, medical checkups, early detection or else, health insurance
—political: freedom, USA, July 4 parades (life as it should be, for a moment, balance)
—spiritual: a bit more challenging, but “I’ve designed a balanced god of my own”
OR, is balance a myth?
There seems to be a rationale on both sides.
1) Balance is a myth. Accept reality. Life isn’t fair.
2) Don’t accept life as it is. Fight. Overcome. Make your own balance.
Can you make enough money, save enough money, spend enough money, to make your money recession-proof, fire-proof, thief-proof, government-proof, greed-proof, death-proof?
Life Insurance is really Death Insurance—perhaps the only insurance with guaranteed conditions.
How many new books, how much new-and-improved advice does it take to answer life’s questions?
What can you do when other marriages last, and yours didn’t? Where is balance then?
Some people have health, some don’t; some have success, some don’t; some have an easier life, some have a very hard life; some are blessed with a wonderful relationship with Jesus, some miss it.
Is there a bottom line? Is there an answer to the question of “Life—Balanced or Bipolar?”
One thing I know. A simple answer will not come from my brain, or anyone else’s.
The Bible does not try to describe this life on earth as pretty. But it does give two guarantees for life.
ONE—We can have sure hope for life after this one (which counts much more and lasts much longer) if we accept Jesus and what He did for us, dying on the cross and coming back to life so we can too.
TWO—We have His promise to be with us all the way through the ups and downs, the joys and the tragedies, the bipolar of life as we know it.
Balance? Not now. Not yet. But more than balanced then.