GREAT THINGS ENTERPRISE
CLAUDE BLACK
Mark 6:31
A Good Balance
In 1659, James Howell published “Proverbs in English, Italian, French and Spanish.” In this book, he included the familiar aphorism that “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,” emphasizing the need for balance in life. Industrial psychologists point out that constant labor without leisure leads to boredom, fatigue, and lack of creativity. Time away from the job is not wasted, for it allows the body, the mind, and the spirit to revive and renew. Studies have shown that increased work time does not lead to increased productivity.
During the early days of the English Industrial Revolution, when the various means of production were localized and systematized, owners often demanded superhuman efforts from their employees, sometimes working them ten to twelve hours a day, seven days a week. Sometimes, when workers were pushed to the limit, they would remove their wooden shoes, called “sabots,” and cast them into the machinery, wrecking it. The English word “sabotage” derives from this practice.
To this classic adage, of course, someone added, “All play and no work makes Jack a mere toy”—too much leisure is also damaging. Between these two extremes, there is a good balance.
Jesus was certainly aware of the need for balance in the life of his disciples. He sent them on their first evangelistic tour. They came back and told him about all they did and taught. “And he said to them, ‘Come you yourselves alone to a solitary place and rest a little.’ For the ones coming and the ones going were many, and they did not even have time to eat.” (Mark 6:31) The rhythm on display here is to go from the presence of Jesus to ministry, then from ministry to Jesus. One danger is that if being in the presence of Jesus does not lead to action, it may not be real devotion. Prayer and worship that do not lead to work miss the purpose. One expression holds that meeting with God in the secret place leads to the service of men in the marketplace.
Jesus recognized the importance of balance in worship and service, and that principle still applies.
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