Program No: 1550
For Broadcast: 13th December 2015
BALANCING LIFE
Pastor Richard Fox
Life leading up to Christmas can be stressful. Trying to get everything finished and ready for Christmas
can add a lot of unwanted stress. I’m juggling work deadlines, end of year family commitments
including school events, along with looking after my own wellbeing. It can be difficult to maintain a
healthy life balance.
How do you maintain a healthy life balance?
I wonder what life would have been like for Mary and Joseph leading up to the first Christmas. How did
they maintain a healthy life balance?
Joseph was a young carpenter and was engaged to a young lady named Mary in Nazareth. They were
planning their lives together and all the joy that comes with the build up to a wedding when their
world was turned upside down.
Mary, without planning it, became pregnant but Joseph wasn’t the father. What a shock for a young
couple to deal with. What were they to do? Would they stay together? What would they be thinking?
The public scrutiny and shame from such a scandal would have been unbearable and could have ended
their dreams of a life together.
To make matters worse, the government had called for a census which meant a long journey for them
back to their home town of Bethlehem.
What a mess? Not the ideal way to start a family life together. Most couples wouldn’t survive this. And
I can’t imagine them having much of a healthy life balance.
However, they stuck together, got married, and travelled to Bethlehem together. They did this because
they knew that God was with them and helping them through. An angel had appeared to both Mary
and Joseph to tell them about Mary’s pregnancy. The angel told them that Mary was going to give
birth to Jesus.
Amongst the stress of that first Christmas, Jesus was in the middle of it and God was looking after Mary
and Joseph. Mary and Joseph’s healthy life balance was centred on God and his promise that he would
be with them.
Mary and Joseph’s early married life didn’t get any easier when they arrived in Bethlehem. Bethlehem
was booked out and they couldn’t find anywhere to stay. Thankfully a hotel offered them a room out
the back with the animals. At least this was shelter over their heads but it wasn’t a comfortable place
to stay.
The time came for Mary to give birth amongst the animals. There was the smell and noise of animals
and only straw to lie on. It was a long way from the clean environment of our modern hospitals!
Mary and Joseph could have been forgiven for doubting the specialness of the baby. But they didn’t.
God reassured them and even sent shepherds and wise men from the East to worship the baby.
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God had changed Mary and Joseph’s life forever. And rather than be stressed out by this whole
experience, Mary and Joseph were overjoyed at the birth of their son. God was looking after them and
gave them joy at the birth of Jesus.
Despite all of the craziness, God helped them with their healthy life balance. He centred them on Jesus
and his love and presence in their lives.
When I reflect on the birth of my children I remember it as a happy memory. This may not be
everyone’s experience and there certainly is messiness at the birth of a child.
I was excited about hearing that I was going to be a father even though I realised that my life was
about to change. We had a young couple lifestyle. We worked, travelled, and spent time with friends
but didn’t have the responsibility of another life to think about.
When we heard that we were going to have a baby, we knew we were going to need to adjust our
lifestyles and prepare for sleepless nights, dirty nappies, and a crying baby. We went to the baby
classes to help teach us what might happen at the birth. But the reality only set in when my child was
actually born. This new life in our family was going to change us forever.
One thing I soon realised is that even though we did the baby classes, there wasn’t a manual on how to
raise a child – other than the basics of feeding, burping and changing a nappy. But a baby isn’t a toy or
the latest tech gadget, babies have personality. This baby was a new person. This new life had needs
other than food and drink. This new life needed to be loved and also gave love.
Welcoming a baby into our lives changed us and made us readjust our healthy life balance.
I can only imagine what the baby Jesus did for Mary and Joseph’s life. Jesus coming into the lives of
Mary and Joseph changed them. They would be known forever as Jesus’ parents. The parents of the
man, the son of God, who grew up to perform miracles, teach people, and go to the cross to die for the
sins of the world. This same Jesus who would pay the price of our sin by dying on the cross and 3 days
later rise from the dead. This same Jesus that defeated death for people, including for you and me.
The baby Jesus, who Mary gave birth to, was not only a gift to Mary and Joseph, Jesus is also a gift to
us. Not only did he change Mary and Joseph’s life, he has changed countless lives since. He has
changed my life.
Believing in Jesus gives me great joy. When I’m stressed at work or it seems like I have too much to do.
I simply ask him for his help and guidance. Talking with Jesus calms me down and helps me with a
healthy life balance.
In Jesus we have joy. Joy in knowing that we have a God who loves us, came into this world as one of
us, and is with us always – through the tough times and the happy times.
From my experience, and from reading about Mary, Joseph and Jesus, there’s no correct formula for a
healthy life balance. The balance is what we prioritise and sacrifice. God sees us as his number 1
priority and wants us to see him in the same way. I like the image that if God had a fridge he would
have our photo on it.
With God as our number 1 priority, at the centre of our whole life, God helps us with our life balance
and can help us see what is really important in our lives.
God watches over us and gives us his peace and rest. He says that he will fight for us, guide us, and
love us, we simply receive what he offers.
Jesus is a God of love. He loves families and wants everyone to be in his family. He also wants to help
us get along and have a healthy life balance. He doesn’t expect us to work all the time or to be lazy all
the time. He wants us to follow him and love one another.
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I encourage you to ask God for his help with your family and for clarity on what is important in life.
Especially in the lead up to Christmas.
Thank God for family. And most importantly, that we are part of his family.
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