Tips from C3 Powerhouse Pastors on Balancing Faith and Daily Life
Have you ever felt as though life is just so busy, that you get to the end of the day and realise that not once have you thought about, or called on the strength of the Lord? Then as you sit there peacefully (if you’re lucky enough) driving home from work, or wherever you’ve been, you begin to relay several instances where you probably would have benefited from calling upon the Lord throughout that day’s events? Well, you’re not alone! Many people express having felt this at one point or another! That’s why finding a healthy balance between Faith and Daily Life is so vital!
In today’s society, life is so incredibly fast paced, that we make the majority of our decisions subconsciously, meaning that we are on what many call ‘autopilot’. From the moment we wake up, many grab their phones FIRST, simply out of habit. We then have breakfast, a shower, or go to the toilet…more often than not in the same order every day. Why? Because that’s routine for you! Routines are often super helpful to us, as they help reduce the amount of decision making, we require as humans. Yet, if you don’t have the right routines in place, including one that puts Faith first, your morning, or daily routine, can act as a detriment to you!
Christians face many challenges in integrating their Faith into their daily routines, so you are not alone! Some of these challenges include managing work stress and mental health stigmas, overcoming feelings of isolation in a world that’s connected more than ever before, and balancing church and family sports in a society that doesn’t have a sabbath.
Once upon a time, whether you believed in God or not, Sundays were reserved for family and on the occasion, friends. Many shops were closed; community sports were played Monday – Friday/Saturday and there were opportunities for family time and rest, unlike today’s society for many!
Continue reading to hear wisdom and insight into how we can manage these stresses and gain greater balance in our lives from C3 Powerhouse Pastors.
Why Balance Matters
Balance isn’t just spoken about in modern day society, rather the Bible clearly highlights the importance of maintaining healthy balance in life. Some key scriptures that highlight this are…
1) Matthew 6:33 states “But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” In this scripture, it reminds us to not become overwhelmed by the demands of everyday life, but to first seek the Lord, knowing with reassurance that He will provide all things.
2) Ecclesiastes 3:1 “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” This highlights that seasons come and go, they hold purpose and time, therefore there is a time for working and a time for rest.
3) Colossians 2:23-24 “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” I love this verse as it speaks to the fact that we are called to work hard, because it is for the Lord and not for man. Yet it also leaves space for an understanding that when we work, we work hard, yet we also need to rest and take up the sabbath to renew our strength and energy so we can maintain this hard-working output.
Practical Tips from C3 Pastors
Starting the Day with Faith
The best way to start every single day is with Jesus! I’m sure many people agree that if we don’t do something first thing in the morning, it most often won’t get done. The demands of the day take over and therefore I live by the saying ‘first things are first’. Therefore, Jesus is my highest priority and that forms the foundation of beginning my day with two main focuses, including spending time with God in prayer and spending time in the Word of God. Back in the day, this started off small and the primary focus was building and maintaining this routine in my life!
Integrating Faith into Work
Jesus wants to be integrated into every moment and every part of our life! Therefore, He doesn’t just want to hear from us or have us pray in the morning or when we need something, but rather consistently. Paul speaks of the importance of us being in prayer all day. A great way to build and establish this habit is by setting reminders in our phones. These times allow us to stop what we are doing, directly our attention to elements of His creation, including nature, the people around us, or the concept that we are working for God and not man himself.
Family and Faith
It is such an honour to be able to bring Jesus into our homes and families. This can be done through small, yet very powerful habits as a family. A great starting place is to begin every mealtime in prayer, thanking the Lord for the meal before you, and for the blessings and provisions that have occurred throughout the day. Furthermore, the habit of reading the Bible and praying with your children before they go to sleep, modelling what it means to be a follower of Christ. Most importantly, it’s important to set aside time to pray as a couple, over your marriage, family, children (present and future if that’s in your life stage and plan), friends and work life. Setting aside this time, even just 5 minutes, might seem small and insignificant, but they put Jesus at the centre of our families!
Building Rest into Your Week
When God gave the commandants, He gave one specifically to the Israelites which was of the Sabbath. We read of the Sabbath in both the Old and New Testament, which is simply taking one day, just like God did when he created the Earth, to rest. The goal of the Sabbath is to stop producing work and to connect with God and others. It helps create a space for rest, worship, recreation and time with family and friends.
Overcoming Common Challenges
God desires each of us to continue growing our relationship with Him and encourage us to fulfil our purpose and destiny in this world. In different seasons of life, we can feel and even be stagnant in our Spiritual Walk, struggling with time management and/or putting our families first. One thing, as a pastor of 5 years, is to reflect once a month around how you’re going in your life, spiritually, emotionally, physically and with your family. Reflective routines help encourage course adjustments when needed and doing these regularly helps you identify the need before they become too intrenched in your daily life routine. It is vital in life to not become too busy doing the ‘urgent stuff’ that we miss out on what is most important which is relationship with God, our family, our children, our friends, our Church and our purpose! Take the time to look over your calendar this week and see if it reflects what is most important.
Encouragement for the Journey
I want to encourage everyone reading this article that God has a wonderful plan for your life and your future! You are called by God to do great and mighty things! With everything we have spoken of today, I want you to stop and reflect, asking yourself ‘what is one next step for me?’ The hard aspect of this is just choosing only one step that you feel God is inviting you into right now in this season. Once you have identified this, break it down further – ‘what can you actually do?’ and ‘what can you apply from this day onwards to adjust the course of your life, even just slightly?’.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you level up your faith?
Romans 10 tells us that Faith comes by hearing and hearing from the Word of God. It is impossible to please God without our Faith. But ‘where does our Faith come from?’ It says in Hebrews 11 that ‘Faith is the substance of things hope for and the evidence of things unseen’. Faith always stems from the Word of God, is not manmade, not motivation or inspiration, but rather a substance in our spirit that comes from God. Therefore, you level up your Faith by reading the Word of God, getting promises from God and meditate on them, journal about them and speak into them! Secondly, immerse yourself with people who are Faith filled, as that is how you also will become Faith filled – be planted in the house of God!!
What faith is C3 church?
C3 Powerhouse is a Pentecostal Christian Church. You can find more about what we believe and who we are on our website C3 Powerhouse Church.
What are some bible verses about faith?
Some great Bible verses around Faith are:
Romans 10 / Hebrews 11:6 / Mark 11:22-24
