Leading a balanced life
(Luke 2:52 NIV) And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
The last we know about Jesus’ childhood was when He was twelve years old. Thenafter we did not hear anything about Jesus’ life till he was thirty. I am sure that when the Son of God lived on this world, everything He did would be significant. Yet the Bible is totally silent and chooses to summarize it in that one statement above.
That statement tells us that Jesus did a well balanced life. We need to ask ourselves whether we also lead a balanced life. Is our job taking up so much of us that we do not have time for staying healthy, for growing spiritually, for spending time with God and men.
Watch against greed
(Luke 12:15 NIV) Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
We must be careful not to spend excessive amounts of time at work with the aim of becoming rich. Work is important but must not be so important that we do not have time for family and ministry.
(Heb 13:5 NIV) Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
Read more about “Contentment”
Giving to God part of our salary
Read more about this under “Tithing”
Do not neglect God
(Job 1:10-11 NIV) “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. {11} But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.”
Job had plenty because he had been blessed by God. If God can bless us with success, He can also take them away. When we are successful in our work, we should not forget God.
Do not let work hinder your spending time with Him
(Luke 10:38-42 NIV) As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. {39} She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. {40} But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” {41} “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, {42} but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Like Martha, we sometimes let work take up so much time and energy that we do not have time to spend with Jesus.