When we encounter tensions between different aspects of our life and work, the immediate response is to find a perfect balance. It may be the tension between evangelizing the lost and equipping the saints, or how we spend our time in and out of the office. But perfect balance is a myth. In our search for that balance, we sometimes end up on a swinging pendulum between two extremes. 

One area that seems to get a lot of attention lately is the work/life balance. There’s been a big push for outcomes, measurables, performance and excellence recently in the church. This has definitely helped us raise the bar. But unfortunately, in many cases we created an achievement culture. We never intended for the individual health and wellbeing of our ministers to be affected. Too many pastors sacrifice their families on the altar of ministry. There is no shortage of burnouts and marital fallouts from ministry workaholics.

Exodus 33:14 tells us that God wants us to rest in him. But then we read Matthew 25 and hear Jesus tell us the importance of keeping watch and staying busy doing the work of the Kingdom, making the most of every moment. The wisdom of the Sabbath and the motivation to maximize our time can overwhelm us as we're looking for perfect balance.

Understanding the Seasons
Instead of pressing for a perfect balance, we need a different barometer for how to handle the tension. I think the answer is found in understanding the seasons. There will be periods where we work more, are driven to achieve more or are called on to do more. In other words, there will be seasons that are more results-focused than others. These will be followed by periods of down time, when we prioritize rest, focus more on our kids or create more margin to refuel. These seasons come and go, passing from one into the other.

Sports are a perfect example of the changing seasons of life. The Fall Classic is usually wrapping up just as college football games are getting good. Right around the Super Bowl, March Madness is heating up. While Spring Training gets underway, the NBA is racing to the playoffs.

The lesson is, learn to anticipate what’s next. If you have kids in competitive sports, you’re always getting ready for the next season. Cold Saturday mornings on the football field coming up? Better make sure you’ve got plenty of hand warmers. Baseball road trips just around the corner? Better get the oil changed in the car.

On the same note, get to know the rhythms of your church so you can anticipate what’s next. Get to know the flow of your staff throughout the year. Find out when the big events are coming up in your community and then plan your outreach accordingly. This is where measurables can be a huge help. Keep track of your weekly attendance. Does it go up and down over the same weekends each year? That’s a pattern that indicates seasons of your church. Flow with it!

Handle the Seasons with Maturity
Leading and living through the changing seasons of life can be difficult. Influential leaders will handle it with spiritual maturity, but immature leaders will swing from one extreme to the other. Or they will constantly try to achieve a perfect balance while ignoring the changing seasons around them.

You can do all the demographic and strategic planning you want, but if your heart is not in tune with the Spirit then you won’t be operating on all cylinders. 

Spiritual maturity is a combination of humility, ability, stability and relatability. You can do all the demographic and strategic planning you want, but if your heart is not in tune with the Spirit then you won’t be operating on all cylinders. You can be driven and motivated, or rested and ready, but if you’re out of balance spiritually you won’t be setting the proper pace.

Spiritual maturity begins when we humbly approach our God knowing He is the source of all our strength. And that also means we continue to operate in a sense of humility knowing that he has given us all we need for life and success. When we humbly acknowledge our reliance on Him for everything, we put the Spirit in the driver seat and trust he will set the proper pace throughout our seasons.

Humility allows us to lean into our abilities, flowing in the special gifts that He has given us. Fully understanding and continually maturing in your abilities makes you more prepared for each new opportunity. As they change, you’ll be ready to anticipate those changes and adapt your own abilities – and the abilities of those around you – to meet each challenge.

Within the flow of changing seasons, it is still possible to have stability. There will be times of increase and times of decline. It’s normal and natural, for your personal life and your ministry. Stability is not defined by a straight line of growth or increase from month to month. Stability is about having a steady hand through the ups and downs of ministry.

Spiritual maturity is about your relatability, as well. That means you are in tune with the needs of your church, the cares of your community and the capacity of your staff. When you sense that someone is in a period of change, you can relate to them and help them navigate those waters. Letting others know that you go through shifting seasons can also be a way to relate to them in their times of change.