“Balance and Moderation” Philippians 4:5; Lk. 21:34 “Let your moderation be known to all.”  5/16/09

            When you have an inner ear problem, caused by bacteria or fluid build up or some kind of blockage, it shows in that you can’t walk straight.  You may not even be able to sit up, and if you’re lying in your bed, the bed may be spinning too.  I remember a really strong, tall, smart guy in my first church who had an inner ear or labyrinth problem, it was like someone had punched him in the head- he had to sit down.  This is what happens when you are out of balance.  You cannot move forward, you cannot move at all.  You are paralyzed. 

            Calvinism, and especially Scottish Calvinism, has been known for its emphasis on moderation and balance.   It is a form of worship, of spirituality.  Zen Buddhism is also known for its emphasis on the delicate balance of life.  The Greeks had a saying “nothing in excess.”  It is a common part of spirituality around the world.  Living your life in balance humanizes you, while living your life in excess de-humanizes you.   

            Today for many people a lot is out of balance.  Their time is out of balance= they don’t seem to have enough of it.  Some have their mood swings out of balance.  Some are overindulging in eating, in drinking, in sin.  Check books are out of balance, credit is out of balance. 

            WHAT THIS IS NOT-

A. IT IS NOT GIVING UP EVERYTHING- It is finding a balance with a focus.  In fact, balance means somewhere between asceticism (abstaining from pleasurable things) and excess.   If I was giving advice to graduates then I would say don’t abstain from everything but don’t try to do everything either.  College is a place where you will hopefully learn to say “no” to some things and “yes” to others.  It is a place to learn your limits.   I had a friend of mine who signed up for everything- he signed up for so many groups he didn’t have time to study. 

A. IT IS NOT STOICISM- In fact, it is a balance between unemotionalism and emotionalism.   The difference between stoicism and Calvinism in this is that stoicism leads to apathy while Calvinism seeks to enjoy the good gifts of God.   Buddhism and Stoicism lead to apathy.  God has given us life to enjoy.  Calvin liked to sail on Lake Geneva- even on Sunday. 

B. IT IS NOT GOING THROUGH LIFE WITH THE BRAKES ON- It is just thinking about and being conscious of when to apply the brakes.   There is a difference.   If you go through life with your brakes on- then you use up your gas needlessly- you waste your energy, your time,  your effort.  In our culture, we have not been applying the brakes at all.  We have been going full speed ahead.   In fact, we have given up on the things that slowed us down, but now in our economy we are being forced to slow down.  We have pretty much given up in our generation on the idea that Sunday is a day of rest.  Watch the signs on the stores bragging “Now open on Sundays.”   The American workweek, according to Juliet Schor has increased in the last thirty years by 163 hours- or basically one more month working per year.   Women in particular are working a lot more, choosing to allow their children to be raised by babysitters.  We have been overworked for awhile and it has drained American emotions- but we have more cars per family and twice as many bedrooms per household.  Ambition and covetousness have vacuumed away our spirituality and our emotional health and values. 

C. IT IS NOT MEDIOCRITY- It is not aiming low or even for the middle.  Moderation and balance is being able to be a balanced, more complete person, using every gift God has given you to do that.  It is balancing your life- your physical life (diet and exercise) with your mental life (education and understanding), with your social life (making and keeping friends and love) with your spiritual life- your relationship with God.  Luke 2:52 says Jesus grew in wisdom, stature, in favor with God and in favor with others.  That should be our aim in growing our children, and our own development- to develop in every way taking care of our body, mind, relationships and soul.

            WHAT IT IS-

A. FINDING  A FOCUS IN YOUR LIFE- Moderation and balance do not begin with what you do, but inside of you.  I believe that focus should be God.  To focus on anything else is idolatry- putting your focus on what is not meant to last.  Someone said if you want to balance a plane you don’t look at the left wing or the right wing, you focus on the horizon.  We are out of balance because we are focusing on secondary but important things- and not on what is eternal what is of ultimate importance.  Focus is not about you and your ambition, or the ambition you have for your children.  You know, if your kids get all As and make a 1500 on the SAT, and get into their college, and get into graduate school, and get a job, and have more kids who make all As, make a 1500 on the SAT, get into college, grad school, get a job- the real question will still be- is that enough?  What kind of world are we making when it is all about getting ahead and getting smart, but we leave out values, and we put God somewhere down on the list?   Jesus said, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.  If you made a list of your goals today- this afternoon, what number would God be?  Jesus said to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and we have been loving him with a little bit of our heart, a section of our soul, a tiny part of our mind, and with wimpy strength, and we wonder why the world isn’t following us.   People can tell where your focus is.  Your kids can tell that too.

B. HAVING A DIFFERENT FOCUS ON THINGS- If our focus is on God, then things are not ours.  It is God’s business not ours to care about what we have.  Do not be anxious, Jesus said, about what you will wear, what you will eat or drink, for your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  We have been out of balance, and the things we have weigh us down like a heavy anchor.  The debt we have weighs us down.  The problems getting ahead weigh us down.  Richard Foster writes that the old success stories valued the rich person who gave it up to become poor like Francis of Assisi or St. Nicolas of Turkey.  Today our success stories are of the poor who became rich (like “The Pursuit of Happiness”).  But life is more valuable than things. See your things as opportunities to share with others- and your heart will feel better.  Martin Luther once said, “if our goods are not available to the community, they are stolen goods.”  When John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, was young he figured he could live on 28 pound s (about $65) a year.  He would give the rest away.  At the time he only earned thirty pounds.  But when he was older he earned 1,400 pounds, but still lived on 28 pounds a year.  He knew how to hold lightly to this life.  Being content with what you have is very important and a gift.

III. MODERATION IS BY THE SPIRIT- Often the illusion is that the Holy Spirit is the One who makes us lose control.  The “Holy Ghost” revivals involved such unusual things as speaking in tongues, pew walking, and up in the mountains of western North Carolina- snake handling.   Some get the impression that having a balance in your life, or moderating your life is almost the opposite of the Holy Spirit.   But the power of God is most often not seen in such showy ways.  The Holy Spirit shows himself by convicting us that we ought not to cheat on that test just to get ahead.  The power of the Holy Spirit shows itself by enabling us to say “no” to something we understand is wrong—even when everyone else is saying yes.  The Spirit is not just the Spirit of power, but also love and soberness. Moderation and balance is often seen hand in hand with the ability to have patience which is a fruit of the Spirit.   True meekness, contentment and patience aren’t something we do all on our own.  But they are gifts of God’s Holy Spirit.  He Bible says do not be drunk on wine- but be filled with the Spirit.   Some have interpreted that ascetically saying we shouldn’t drink at all.  If you are pregnant, if you are underage, or if you are driving that is true.  Moderation would say you don’t have to abstain.  Calvin said that God gave us wine to enjoy.  But he discouraged drunkenness.  There is a balance.  I would encourage the graduates here to always put God first and find a balance in their lives. 
            Years ago I went to Kentucky and visited the old shaker village where they supposedly sang this tune.  It is a reminder that we need to balance and simplify our lives for the glory of God.   It says,
            Tis a gift to be simple tis a gift to be free, tis a gift to come down where we ought to be. Those of you going off to college have been training yourselves for years how to add layer upon layer, and now you have the opportunity to do that, or you have the opportunity to balance your life with simplicity, focus, generosity, letting the Holy Spirit guide you.