Margin!

Okay, finally found some margin to write my post on Margin!

Margin is the amount available beyond what's needed. It's the extra; the reserves. What is considered normal just gets busier and busier. Technology gives us more time and we crowd that extra time with more stuff! Most of us have little margin. No margin living is dangerous. Most of us have zero margin and we still try to fit more in. We are drawn to margin. We like personal space. We like to have a margin in our books that makes them easier to read. We like margin when we are driving.

Margin is a schedule where you spend time with your family. Margin is money left at the end of the month. The best things in this life happen in the margin.

We looked at Luke 10:38-42. This is the story of Mary and Martha and how they were faced with the same exact situation, but they each handled it so differently. They were preparing for Jesus' visit. Martha got all worked up and distracted. Mary embraced the moment. Here were two women with the same opportunity. Mary embraced the moment and Martha worried.

It's normal to want to clean up before Jesus comes over, right? It's not evil that Martha ran around trying to do that. We aren't doing evil things when we're distracted. If Satan can't make you do bad things, he'll just make you busy!

So, in verse 40, Jesus is there and Martha plays the drama queen card. She says to Him, "Don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" She is convinced she's right, just like we think we're right when we think that those things that take away our margin are a necessity. It's the new normal, a fact of life, we think. But, in Romans 12:2, Paul tells us not to conform to the patterns of this world. It's not okay to run around like crazy just because your friends do it. We accept it because everyone else is doing the same thing. We are supposed to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.

In verse 41, we see Jesus' reply to Martha. He tells her that she is worried and distracted about many things, but that Mary chose what is best. If we choose to live a life of margin, it will not be taken from us.

When your margin decreases:

1. Your stress level increases! That leads to the next thing:

2. Your relationships suffer! Relationships happen in the margin. Busyness is the enemy of intimacy.

We have a habit of giving God what's left over of our time, money, etc. We have the someday syndrome, that some day we'll have margin and be able to put Him first. Living without margin is an addiction, an empty pursuit, and some day never comes. Why do we allow ourselves to do this? We are drawn to more and more. Why don't we downgrade and create more margin? We are afraid of missing something. We pass this on to our kids too. Our kids are experientially rich and relationally poor, meaning we give them all these great experiences (extracurricular activities, vacations, etc.) but we don't form relationships with them. One day our kids will be gone and we won't even really know them.

We try to squeeze everything we can out of this life and that kind of life is empty and not worth living. Most of us have more money in our lives right now than we have ever had, and we are more stressed than we've ever been! It's the same thing with time. There are limits to what we can do. The choice is will we live in them with margin or not.

Our Pastor reminded us of what we all did when Hurricane Ike was coming and we were facing a direct hit on our area. At that time, the only thing that mattered to us was our family and getting them out safely. Our stuff did not matter!

God will wait for us to find margin. Will you find it now or will you wait until you've had that heart attack, or your marriage is facing divorce, etc? Why don't we make the choice to do it now? Surrender it to Him.

Just to prove that we can find margin in a day, our pastor challenged us to take 5 minutes a day and do nothing this week. Just five minutes and do absolutely nothing! "Be still and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10) Well, I totally forgot about this challenge until I was just reading my notes. LOL! But, I fell asleep on the couch on Monday and I fell asleep in the car at dance while waiting for Kaylee yesterday. Does that count? Ha!

Matthew 11:28 says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." We should be living in the rhythm of God's grace, instead of the demands of this world. Choose what is best. Seek Him/margin and here is what He'll do:
Isaiah 58:11 - The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

We miss the very best things He has to offer when we miss margin. God loves you and is crazy about you! We don't have to earn anything. He will fill us with a love like we've never experienced. His plans are way better. We'll find rest, purpose, and a life worth living if we follow His plan!