Balance. It’s a popular word when we talk about our lives. But is it possible? And if so, is it even something we should be striving to achieve? I think it depends on what we have to sacrifice in order to get it.
My family, like so many others, is in the midst of tee ball season. My six-year-old daughter enjoys it, my wife loves it, and I’m able to tolerate it for the eight weeks or so it lasts. We sacrifice to make it happen.
For some, like me, it’s a bigger sacrifice than others. I would rather be home catching up on reality TV during the week or taking my wife out on a date on the weekends. However, the enjoyment my wife and daughter get from it outweighs my sacrifice.
Tomorrow, I’m going to play in a charity golf tournament. I play golf once or twice a year, which means I’m terrible at golf. But it’s for a good cause, and I get to hang out with my friends. I’m sacrificing time with my family, but they’re ok with it because I prioritize them throughout the year. At least I think I do.
You see, what worries me is that, if we’re not careful, we can lose sight of the sacrifice. And before we know it, we’ll sacrifice our family, when we thought we were just sacrificing time with them. We’ll sacrifice our marriage, when we thought we were just sacrificing date nights. We’ll sacrifice our spiritual life, when we thought we were just sacrificing a few Sunday services.
My fear is that we’re so consumed by the here and now we may end up sacrificing our future.
We overvalue the urgent and marginalize what’s really important.
Husbands, we cancel dates with our wives to get some extra hours in at work.
Wives, we neglect intimacy with our husbands so the kids can sleep in the bed with us.
These seem like small sacrifices with little consequence, yet over time they can demand a much bigger sacrifice.
We all would be wise to ask ourselves, “Is it going to be worth it?” If not, start taking steps now to change your future.
How have you seen small sacrifices lead to bigger sacrifices in your own life? What would you tell someone else who is going down that path? I’d love to hear your answers in the comments below.
