Got Margin?

Have you noticed lately how busy—and tired—we all are? Consider these statistics:

People now sleep 2½ fewer hours each night than people did a hundred years ago. You’re sleeping less than your grandparents did.

The average workweek is longer now than it was in the 1960s.

The average office worker has 36 hours of work piled up on his or her desk. It takes us three hours a week just to sort through it and find what we need.

We spend eight months of our lives opening junk mail, two years of our lives playing phone tag with people who are busy or who are not answering, five years waiting for people who are trying to do too much and are late for meetings.

We are a culture that is chronically rushed, chronically late and chronically exhausted. 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 NIV). Simply put, we’re stressed by the pace of life.

Besides being instructors of teachers, most of us also wear many other hats. Maybe you are also a local or state CEF director, you have ministries to coordinate, meetings to attend, reports to fill out, newsletters to write, clubs to teach and teachers to train. You also have family responsibilities, church responsibilities and maybe even community responsibilities. The question is, do you have margin?

Margin is a change of pace spot in your life. It’s been described as the space between your load and your limit. Margin is time spent doing something a little different than usual—a way to relax your mind and spirit. For some, margin is going to the gym or to Curves. It might be taking a walk or working on a favorite hobby. Sometimes margin means getting away for a while. Sometimes it means taking time out for coffee with a friend.

Why do people already busy in ministry need margin? Because most of us are on constant overload and headed for a crash! Dr. Richard Swenson, a medical doctor, says this:

“The conditions of modern day living devour margin. If you’re homeless we direct you to a shelter. If you’re penniless we offer you food stamps. If you’re breathless we connect you to oxygen. But if you’re marginless we give you one more thing to do.

"Marginless is not having time to finish the book you’re reading on stress. Margin is having the time to read it twice. Marginless is our culture. Margin is counter-culture, having some space in your life and schedule. Marginless is the disease of our decade. Margin is the cure.”

God knows His workers need margin. Consider Elijah. He was working overtime as God’s prophet—speaking, traveling and performing miracles! Then he went into total burnout—even becoming suicidal How did God respond? God knew His prophet needed margin and provided it through rest, physical nourishment, reassurance of His presence and help and a helper—Elisha. (1 Kings 19:5-18)

Jesus knew the importance of having margin in our lives. He consistently made time to get away from the work for rest and reflection. He made sure His disciples also took time away from the crowds. He invites us to enjoy a balanced ministry (Matthew 11:28-30).

What will margin do for you? It will give you time to think, relax and enjoy life. It will improve your health, giving you body time to rest from daily stress. It will improve your relationships, providing time to reconnect with significant people in your life. It will increase your effectiveness in ministry, enabling you to appreciate what God is doing through you and giving you renewed vigor to serve Him.

So…how are you doing in the area of margin? Do you have a hobby or interest that has nothing to do with CEF? Do you plan time into your schedule to just relax or do change-of-pace things? Are you making time for family and friends? Click the comment link below and share with us how you put margin into your life…or how you intend to do so in the future!