Last week I traveled on a plane across the ocean. By the time the seat belt sign dinged and my plane had reached cruising altitude I was already feeling numbness in my legs. “There just isn’t enough space in this seat, no margin for my knees,” I thought! Airlines hate extra space, and we all know what that feels like.

What about your life?

Are you living activity-to-activity and meeting-to-meeting with no space to breathe, no space to rest, no space to respond to what God is saying? We can run the race of constant activity for a while, but eventually it catches up to us.

Margin: Time to listen, refresh and rest. Time of stillness, relaxation and sleep. Time of letting a word from God sink deep into our soul – to heal, be comforted and enjoy life.

Margin in our lives, like legroom in an airplane, seems unnecessary at first; but when you live without it for a while, things stiffen up, and you realize just how necessary that extra space really is. [1]

Many of us feel like Job did when he said, “I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil!” (Job 3:26) [2]

At our Reconciled World retreat in March, we talked about and practiced stillness before God. In the days that followed, I specifically talked to nine people who attended the retreat, and every single one talked about feeling refreshed and renewed from time alone and stillness with God.

Margin – it’s the extra space we desperately need and rarely give ourselves.

What robs you of Margin?

Here is a list of five possibilities. Do any of these affect you?

1) Social media: Is it your smartphone or email account that robs you from rest?

2) Insecurity: Maybe you don’t want to be an underachiever, so you work every moment to prove your worth. If it helps, let me remind you (and myself) of where fruitfulness comes from, according to the Bible:

“I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

3) Internet: Does the news and all its negativity cause you stress that robs you of margin? Maybe it is wasted time on the Internet surfing meaningless content?

4) Comparisons: What about blogs and books with their never-ending judgments and measurements and opinions?

5) Ministry demands: Yup that’s right. Sometimes our ministry for God takes the place of our intimacy with God. It seems backwards but it is true.

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41-42)

So how do we seek to better create margin in our lives?

Four suggestions to consider

1) Schedule it. If we schedule “stillness” into our calendars, we’re more likely to do it. It’s also easier to say “no” to a pressing demand when we already have something else scheduled at that time.

2) Set boundaries. It’s important to put fences around the time and activities we need for restoring ourselves. Don’t be afraid to say NO!

3) Unplug from technology. It is increasingly difficult to push aside distractions. Sometimes it takes unplugging from the hustle and bustle to be fully present with others and with God.

Finally, here is one suggestion that I grabbed from Michael Hyatt that I think carries great value. (Link)

4) Identify your highest values and plan them first. Identify that which is most important to your life for wholistic health; exercise, stillness with God, family time, etc. Put those priorities on the calendar first and build around them filling in the gaps.

We all need margin in our life. When we’re not hurrying and worrying all the time, we have time to think. Time to relax. Time to enjoy life. Time to be still and know that God is God (Psalm 46:10).

Growth Point:

Establishing margin in your life is essential for living healthfully and connecting with others and God in a fruitful way.

Scripture Point:

Psalm 46:10. Reflect on what it means in your life to be still before God.

Action Point

Spend 30 minutes examining the priorities in your life and building a schedule that puts first things first. Find a family member or friend who can help you remain accountable to maintaining proper balance and margin in your life.

 

[1] http://www.alifeoverseas.com/margin-the-wasted-space-we-desperately-need/

[2] http://pastorrick.com/devotional/english/building-margin-into-your-life

https://michaelhyatt.com/more-margin.html