Women exhorted to seek ‘balance’ when facing ‘100 differe

NEW ORLEANS (BP)--“The hands of time will strangle you if you’re not careful,” said a 26-year employee of LifeWay Christian Resources, adding she desperately needs to take a time management course available at her place of employment, “but who has time?”

Linda Thompson, of LifeWay’s church resources division, addressed women in or preparing for various types of ministry service during a luncheon at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary Feb. 24. Thompson was one of a team of 16 staff members and administrators from LifeWay to lead daily seminars during a special emphasis week at NOBTS focused on the variety of ministry resources and services available through LifeWay.

“Living a life in ministry is often like living a life walking across a balance beam,” Thompson said. “The key to keeping your balance is focus, but focus is still a matter of balance because you can’t focus too much!”

The Apostle Paul wrote a thesis on balance maintenance and simplification in 1 Corinthians 10, Thompson said. Paul’s advice concludes with (in Thompson’s paraphrase), “You have to do this and that, but whatever you do, maintain balance and do all to the glory of God.”

“Life gets in a whirl,” Thompson said. “We attempt to do 100 different things and usually end up not doing anything well,” losing balance totally.

Four important principles must be remembered, Thompson said, to keep balance:

-- “Re-establish the goal in your life, remembering God created us for his glory, [which is] the purpose of our existence.”

-- “Redirect that focus on where you’re going,” which should be to seek God first.

-- “Rethink your motivation,” remembering “what brought you here in the first place.” This principle alone should enable a woman to be able to say “no” more often, Thompson said.

-- “Re-enter God’s rest,” taking time to relax. This point is “a must,” she said, in order to get balance back.

More than 100 women attended the luncheon, which also featured Linda Miniard, a specialist with LeaderCare, a hotline service for Southern Baptist ministers and their family members; and Jerri Herring, a consultant with LifeWay’s Sunday school ministries department.