How to Stay Centered When You Feel Off-Balance - iBelieve Truth - March 13, 2024
“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3 (ESV)
Growing up, years of dance lessons meant countless hours spent mastering the art of graceful turns. Finding the right balance proved challenging to my lanky frame, but that didn’t stop me from practicing. I loved to dance. Keeping in step with the music came naturally to me, so I could usually pull off one or two turns with ease. But when I attempted to add one more rotation, I toppled off-center. That is until I learned the importance of a strong core for keeping my balance.
For a dancer, core muscles in the center of the body give the strength needed to make sure your weight stays evenly distributed. But in my stubbornness, I thought I could find an easier way to get through those turns. I remember thinking if I could just turn faster, maybe I could make it one more time. I’d pull with my arms and fling myself around, but the harder I pulled, the quicker I’d lose my footing. I had to learn how to relax, stop pulling, and trust my core to help me.
Life these days can feel a lot like trying to master the perfect pirouette. I want to work hard, serve God, and be there for the people I love. I want to be the best wife, mom, and friend I can be. Yet try as I might to keep a good balance in daily life, I can’t seem to stay upright when so much is pulling at me. I’m always struggling to do it all well, which hinders me from continuing in a graceful flow.
The prophet Isaiah spoke this word from the Lord that we can still apply to our unbalanced lives today, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you” (Isaiah 26:3).
The phrase “stayed on” or “steadfast” comes from the Hebrew word samak, meaning “to sustain, uphold.” As God’s chosen people, we can rely on the truth of Scripture to sustain us. Even when life feels out of balance and we’re struggling to stay upright, God promises, “I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10). God is the center of everything we do, and by staying grounded in the truth of his Word, we gain strength to help us face life’s challenges with peace.
Just like the dancer depending on a strong core to keep her centered and balanced, we can depend on Almighty God. Even his name is a strong tower. “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe” (Proverbs 18:10). However, we also need to understand that maintaining those core muscles won’t happen if we ignore them. Growth takes exercise, practice, and steadfast commitment.
In the same way that we strengthen our physical bodies, we can strengthen our relationship with God through daily prayer and reading Scripture. As we choose to center our lives around God and his Word, we will be more aware of his gifts of strength and peace. We will be able to “run and not grow weary;” we will “walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31).
If life has felt off-balance lately, leaving you struggling to stay centered, rest assured God can keep you in perfect peace. Let’s choose to trust in his strength today instead of our own. He is faithful to bring us back into balance.
Dear God,
Lately, life has felt off-balance. It seems as if the more I try to keep up with all the things pulling at me, the more I struggle. Forgive me for relying on my own strength instead of the strength and peace you offer. Help me recenter my life around you and your Word. When I keep you at the center, Lord, everything else in my daily life stays in balance. Thank you for the promise to uphold me when I feel like I’m going to fall. Thank you for bringing perfect peace in times of unsteadiness. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
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If you've been feeling tired, overwhelmed, depleted, or just quietly wondering where God is in the middle of a very full life — this episode is for you. And honestly? It might be for me too, because I'm recording this in one of those seasons myself.
Today we're doing something a little different. Instead of going deep in a passage, we're talking about what to do when deep feels like too much — when you need less, not more. Specifically, I'm walking you through one of my favorite practices for weary seasons: handwriting scripture.
Not typing it. Not scrolling past it. Actually writing it out, slowly, in your own hand — because something happens in your brain when you do that. The words land differently. They go deeper. And over time, they become part of that personal library of God's voice that the Holy Spirit can pull from when you need it most. That's what Psalm 119:11 means when it says I have hidden your word in my heart — it's scripture moving into your long-term memory, where it lives and stays even when you haven't opened your Bible in weeks.
I'm sharing the five verses I wrote out for myself today — and why each one hit me fresh even though I've known some of them for years. This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to follow the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
