What is margin anyway? Margin is the amount of time, money, whatever, we hold back—in order to maintain productivity, stability and integrity. “Calendar margin” is the MOST important margin, since it means reserving time to rest, for solitude, and for other people. “Financial margin” means living within our means, even changing our lifestyles, if necessary. “Work margin” means focusing on what we’re made to do, and excluding the things we aren’t. We need to see margin as a gift. Sadly, instead, most of us convince ourselves that comfort is most important, when God obviously shows us that there are things much more valuable: relationships, restoration, joy and peace, to list a few. These are vital for healthy, productive lives, and things we must have in sufficient quantities if we’re going to overflow love for God, ourselves and others. We care for others by caring of ourselves. As the verse says below, God’s calling you to a life of “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control”
Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
So, What… for This Week?
How busy is your life? Is it filled with…Hurry? Worry? Stress? Read the verse above AGAIN and accept that you’re built for these “fruits of the Spirit,” built for margin? Now, can you make the practical decisions that’ll conform your life to God’s design, not the world’s? Commit today, to one concrete, measurable change.