CAMDEN — By Richard Merritt
Michael is my third grandchild to be saved. At present, we still get to see him a lot since he lives in Camden. He has always been bright. He has some athletic ability from his dad. My side of the family is awkward. We trip and fall a lot, even over the crack in the sidewalk. I have been amazed to see the balance Michael has. He climbs, runs, jumps and continually surprises me with what he can do because he has great balance.
Sometimes he shows me what he can do without saying “Look, Pop.” We have a small exercise trampoline my wife Marvanna got. The grandchildren play on it a lot more than it gets used for exercise. Michael made a grabber from two popsicle sticks, some tape, a piece of string and a paper clip. He pulled open part of the paper clip to make a hook. He tied the sting to the paper clip. He attached the string to the popsicle stick handle with he tape. It looked like a fishing pole. He jumped up on the trampoline, danced around in a circle on one foot all the while playing with his grabber. He cut his eyes in my direction to see if I noticed what he had done. I did see it and we both smiled. He went around in circles on one foot a few more times just because he could.
Some lives are out of balance. We get out of balance because we put too much importance on the wrong things. The first step to getting your life in balance is to ask Jesus into your heart. This is the new birth experience everyone needs. No life can be in balance spiritually if they do not know Jesus as their personal Savior. All people need the Lord because we are all sinners. In order to go to Heaven, the Bible declares “we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12 KJV)
Only those that are saved have the ability to walk with Jesus.
Another way a life is out of balance is by making choices that are not according to God’s will. His will is expressed in the Bible.
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6 KJV)
Those that truly know Jesus as their personal Savior have a desire to obey Him. Those that live in disobedience to the Ten Commandments have lives that are very much out of balance. They stagger and stumble through life, falling into the ditch of disobedience by making the wrong choices again and again.
A life that is spiritually balanced is a life of faith, truth, true worship, godliness, obedience and a life put on the candlestick.
“Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.” (Matthew 5:15 KJV).
A New Testament church is the candlestick upon which we should place our light after Jesus the Light of the world lives in us.
“The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.” (Revelation 1:20 KJV)
A New Testament church is one that is defined by New Testament truth and follows the standard of the church Jesus built. A child of God gets his best balance in life from being a faithful, active part of a true church.
When lives are not spiritually balanced, there is chaos in the home, trouble in the marriage and problems in parent and child relationships. They are characterized by a lack of peace. It is as easy to spot a life that is out of balance as it is to see lives and families that have a great spiritual balance.
My grandson Michael has a great sense of balance. It is natural for him. It is also natural for people that are saved and make worship in one of the Lord’s churches a priority to have great balance in their lives.
If your life has been out of balance, it is time to get it in balance with Jesus at the center of your life. Try it, you’ll like it.
(Merritt is the pastor at Trinity Missionary Baptist Church.)