He who lacks these things is shortsighted.

2Pe 1:9 NKJV

Brian Dyson, former Vice Chairman of Coca Cola, delivered the commencement address at Georgia Tech in 1996. In it he said, 'Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling five balls in the air. You name them - work, family, health, friends and spirit. You will soon understand that one is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls - family, health, friends and spirit - are made of glass. If you drop any of these they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life.' Many of the people we admire are out of balance; they can build great churches and companies, but not great relationships. Solomon wrote: 'They made me the keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard I have not kept' (SS 1:6 NKJV). Pastors who teach the importance of building strong families, sometimes raise children who turn out resentful because they got none of Dad's time and attention. And worse, he told them, 'We have to make these sacrifices for God and the ministry.' In what areas are you out of balance? In your quest not to drop the ball in your public performance, make sure you don't drop it in your personal life - where it counts most. The Bible bottom-lines it: 'Add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love... he who lacks these things is shortsighted' (2Pe 1:5-9 NKJV).