Find Overall Life Balance with Us (12)

Life balance

I was struck hard when I passed by Van Gogh’s “Enclosed Field with Peasant”, wanted to linger in front of it all day, but I got to go home and fix my garage door. The cool breeze whispered against my face when I drove by a beautiful valley, I’d love to stop the car and live there for a month, but I have kids daily school drop off and pick up, and their ball games. I dream of spending hours reading, thinking, and diving into the joyous exploration of a thousand ways to articulate a Mozart’s note, but I have grocery shopping and Amazon returns to do.

By now, you probably get my point—the artistic mindset contradicts sharply with the family mindset.

– Change vs. steady routine  

– Taking risks vs. prioritizing safety  

– Self-cultivation vs. responsibilities  

Balancing these two mindsets can be a struggle, as each demands a totally opposite approach to life. As of now, I have more questions than solutions. Thank God I still find insights from the Bible that can help me understand the importance of both perspectives and the challenges of navigating between them.

Artists are given by God a deep desire to explore, create, and express new ideas. This requires a willingness to take risks and to constantly venture into the unknown. There’s nothing acknowledges the value of creativity and exploration more than the Genesis 1:1, the very first verse of the Bible, we read, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” The nature of God, as a Creator, shows that creativity is a divine attribute. The act of creation involves a form of exploration—God bringing order to chaos, light to darkness, and life to a formless void. 

Proverbs 25:2 states, “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.” Like the kings, seeking out new knowledge and understanding is the essential aspects of the artistic mindset, to explore the unknown, to seek and uncover hidden truths, to create… all of these require artists to move beyond the familiar and comfortable, embracing change and uncertainty in the process, in short, a risk-taking mindset.

On the contrary, the family mindset emphasizes stability, routine, and the importance of maintaining a steady foundation. Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it.” points out the importance of a stable, nurturing environment in which children can grow and learn. 1 Timothy 5:8 states furthermore, “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” It is a man’s responsibility and duty to care for his family, providing for their needs and ensuring their well-being. The family mindset is rooted in the idea of maintaining a safe, stable, reliable space where love and support can be freely given and received.

So, the mindset that needs for change and exploration clashes with the mindset that needs for stability and consistency. These clashes create tension, and this tension creates inner conflicts. Although I have no solution for this, I do have a few bibles verses for comfort- Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; … a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. ” This passage often reminds me that life involves a series of phases, each with its own purpose and timing. There is a time for exploration and creativity, just as there is a time for stability and care. Understanding and accepting this rhythm helps me navigate the tension between these two mindsets.

In conclusion, there is no simple solution to balancing the artistic and family mindsets. Instead, one must recognize that different phases of life call for different priorities. There’s a time for everything. In the meantime, let’s all be reminded to find beauty around us and the love we share with others. 

Ecclesiastes 3:11 “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”

God made everything with its own beauty and purpose, including the different phases in our lives, even if we cannot fully understand them.

May God have mercy and be with us.

Come join us to learn how to embrace a new, Godly attitude that is universal and that withstands the test of time.  “He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.” 2 Corinthians. 5:15. Bring your friends and family to learn how to live a creative and stable life.  Join us in the upcoming Fall Evangelical Service and Spiritual Convocation in September. You can also join us for the Fall ESSC via online streaming.  Here’s the ESSC schedule:

Thursday, September 26, 2024 6:50PM to 8:10PM
Friday and Saturday, September 27-28, 2024 9:00AM to 8:10PM
Sunday, September 29, 2024 9:00AM to 1:00PM

Complimentary lunch and dinner will be served.

Please find our church location below:

4N550 Church Road
Bensenville, IL 60106
 Google Maps

In the meantime, please feel free to join us for our regular Sabbath (Friday evening and Saturday) services online or in-person.

Friday Evening Service:  7:50PM – 9:00PM

Saturday Morning Service:  10:50AM – 12:00Noon

Saturday Afternoon Service:  1:30PM – 2:40PM

Email us at ilovejesus@tjc-chicago.org