Balancing Act

This week, we're talking about how we respond to stress. As Howard reminds us here, we can put too much emphasis on dealing with the symptoms of stress while we ignore its causes. Sometimes an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. There will always be unavoidable times of stress in our work, but knowing our limits and being humble can help keep us from taking on more than we can responsibly handle.

Transcript: Sharon kept a lot on her plate...and she kept a lot of plates in the air. She headed two project teams. She served on another. She belonged to professional organizations...and was chasing a master's degree.

Besides feeling important, Sharon felt harried, hurried, and hassled. Yes, she got a lot done. But her life was no fun. One day a friend asked Sharon a question, "Who signed you up for all this?"

Sharon paused. She said, "I did."

This is Howard Butt, Jr., of Laity Lodge. When our plates are too full, it's usually because we put too much on them. The right balance between feeling good about work and working to feel good is what I call...the high calling of our daily work.

Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted.
Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good.
It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night,
anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.

-Psalms 127:1-2

Want to hear more? You can find this and other messages from Howard over at the HIgh Calling Youtube Channel.