SAYS WHO?

"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

-Romans 12:1-2

In our culture, we’ve been conditioned to believe that life is about striking a balance. “Balance your faith with your career,” we hear. “Balance your family with your personal goals.” “Balance your devotion to Christ with the pursuit of the American Dream.” It’s a mentality that’s deeply ingrained in the way we live. But this philosophy, this idea of “balance,” is actually one of the greatest lies we’ve been told. Besides that, who says we should balance anything? That concept certainly isn't in or from the WORD of God.

"The Christian way is different: harder, and more painful. But it is also richer and more rewarding. The difference is that the Christian life is not simply a matter of obeying rules but of being transformed by Christ’s love, which affects every part of us. Christianity does not call us to compartmentalize but to make Christ the center of all that we are, in every area of life."

— C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

In Colossians 2:4 and 8, the Apostle Paul warns the church about the philosophy of the world, a philosophy that’s hollow and deceitful, based on human traditions and the “elementary principles of the world.” It’s easy to overlook, but these warnings were not just for the early church; they’re just as relevant for us today. The world’s wisdom encourages us to compartmentalize our lives—separating our devotion to Christ from our work, our relationships, our ambitions, and even our identity. This “balance” promises peace and fulfillment, but it actually robs us of both.

"The great hindrance in Christian work is the idea that you are here to do a certain thing. You are not here to do a thing. You are here to be God's. If He wants to do something through you, He will do it. And when you stop, He will carry on. The one thing is to be available, and your life will be more productive than you could ever imagine."

— Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

The Lie We’ve Been Told: Christ Is Part of Our Life, Not Our Life

Here’s the subtle but dangerous lie we’ve been sold: Christ can be a part of our life, but He doesn’t need to be our whole life. This kind of thinking leads us to treat Christ like one item in a long list of things we “balance”—right alongside our careers, financial planning, and the pursuit of success. We chase after the “American Dream” while also trying to follow Jesus. We pursue financial stability, career advancement, and the freedom to live our lives the way we want, all while keeping a seat for Christ at the table.

But this approach to life fundamentally misunderstands who Christ is and what it means to follow Him. Jesus isn’t just the Savior who forgives our sins and promises us eternal life. He is the Savior, Creator, Redeemer, and Sovereign LORD of all. He is the One by whom all things were made, and the One who sustains all things (Colossians 1:16-17). As the Apostle Paul notes in Colossians 3:4, "When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory." We wrongly think we can “balance” Him with the priorities of the world. In doing so, we are not honoring Him as the Creator and King of the universe. We are reducing Him to an accessory, something that can be tucked into the convenient margins of our lives.

"There is no part of our life which is secular; everything is sacred to the man who lives for Christ."

— Charles Spurgeon, Spurgeon’s Sermons

The Cost of "Balancing" Christ and Life

When we try to strike a balance between Christ and our “real life”—whether that’s climbing the corporate ladder, building our business, or simply chasing after comfort and security—we are buying into the very lie Paul warns us about in Colossians 2:8. This kind of thinking is rooted in the “elementary principles of the world,” which are not aligned with God’s kingdom but with the pursuit of earthly things.

As believers, we are called to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). That means our ultimate identity, our purpose, and our actions must flow from the truth that Christ is our all-in-all. We cannot afford to live as if we still belong to the world. This worldly mindset leads us to focus on earthly pursuits like retirement, 401Ks, nest eggs, and the constant need for more, while neglecting the true treasures that are found in God’s kingdom.

Instead of investing our time, energy, and resources into building up the kingdom of God, we ask ourselves questions like: “How much money do I need to retire comfortably?” or “What’s the next step in my career?” We start questioning God’s sufficiency, as though our future and security depend on our own striving and plans, rather than on His sovereignty and provision.

"You cannot compartmentalize your life. The more you try to do so, the more enslaved you become. Either Christ is Lord of all, or He is not Lord at all."

— Neil Anderson, The Bondage Breaker

The Peace of Christ: The Key to Putting the Old Self to Death

The problem with this approach is that it keeps us from putting the old self to death. When we live as if we still belong to the world, we fail to experience the peace of Christ that is meant to reign and rule in our hearts. Colossians 3:15 tells us that the peace of Christ is meant to arbitrate in our lives, to be the deciding factor in how we live. But we can’t allow Christ’s peace to reign in our hearts when we’re constantly looking to the world’s standards for peace, security, and fulfillment.

What would it look like to truly let the peace of Christ truly govern our (plural) hearts? It would mean putting to death our old desires for status, wealth, and comfort. It would mean living as if Christ is our life, not just an add-on to our busy, fragmented existence. It would mean living as devoted, contributing, functional members of His Body & Bride rather than casual attendees and volunteers. When Christ is truly our life, He doesn’t just occupy the corner of our hearts we're comfortable surrendering—He becomes our identity. This is what the Apostle Paul is driving home in Colossians 3:4, “When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” Our identity is rooted in Christ, and when He returns, we will appear with Him in glory because He is our entire life—not a part of our life.

Living as Unto the LORD

When Christ is truly our life, we do all things as unto the Lord (Colossians 3:23). Our work, our family, our ambitions—everything becomes an offering of adoration and worship unto God, a way of glorifying Him and advancing His kingdom. We stop compartmentalizing our lives into the bogus divided categories of sacred and secular, and we live as though every harmonized moment belongs completely to Him because everything is for Him. This doesn’t mean we neglect our responsibilities or our callings. It means we approach everything with a mindset that it's all part of God’s plan and therefore, everything exists to bring Him glory.

"The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult and left untried."

— C.K. Chesterton, What's Wrong with the World?

Conclusion: Rejecting the Philosophy of the World

The world tells us that we need to strike a balance between Christ and everything else. But the Bible teaches us that Christ is neither a balancing act nor an accessory to our lives—He is our life. He is everything. When we live with and by this truth, we are free from the empty deceit and hollow philosophies that keep us focused on earthly things. We begin to seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness, striving for and setting our minds on things above, not on earthly things.

The Apostle Paul said, "Do not lie to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices, and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator." Let’s stop the lie of “balancing” Christ with the stuff of the world. Let us surrender fully to Him as our identity and our all-in-all, and let His peace rule in our hearts. When we do this, He guarantees will experience true freedom, fulfillment, and purpose in doing all things as unto the LORD.

"The person who has been touched by the Spirit of God has lost the ability to divide his life into separate categories: the sacred and the secular."

— A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God

Blessings & love,

Kevin M. Kelley

Senior Pastor

BigIslandChristianChurch.com