Recently our pastors have been taking our church congregation through a Margin Series.  Margin is the space between your load and your limit.  We need margin space in our lives so that we can make the best decisions in areas where we are not overloaded with busyness.  One area in our lives where we need more space is in our physical space.  Today, we are talking about setting physical margin space.

Setting Physical Margins

This post is written from my personal Bible study notes taken during my pastor's sermon titled Physical Margin.

Margin is a heart issue.  Margin is ultimately about God's glory.   

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all things for the glory of God.  1 Corinthians 10:31

Physical margin glorifies God.

Setting Physical Margins

1.  What is physical margin?

Physical margin is intentionally taking care of the body God gave us.  This is for His glory and our blessing.

For bodily training is just slightly beneficial, but godliness is beneficial for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.  1 Timothy 4:8

1 Timothy 4:8 tells us that bodily training is slightly beneficial.  We should definitely take care of the body God gave us.  We should eat the right foods.  We should exercise to keep our bodies strong and fit.  We should also use caution so that we don't idolize fitness.  Physical fitness is important.  Staying in good health and in good physical shape pleases God.  He gave us our bodies so we should take care of what God has given us but if health and physical fitness is an idol, then we don't have good physical margin space.

2.  Why should I care about physical margin?

So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.  Genesis 1:27

I reflect God's image.

Do you reflect God's image?  If you have a relationship with Jesus, do people know?

Then God said, "Let Us make mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the livestock and over all the earth, and over every crawling thing that crawls on the earth."  So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; make and female He created them.  Genesis 1:26-27

God intentionally chose to make you the way you are.  YOU ARE NOT AN ACCIDENT.  You are here for a purpose.  God values ALL life but only people are made in God's image.  

God took time to knit you.

For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb.  I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.  Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.  Psalms 139:13-18

This item is available here.

You have purpose.

Your body is not your own.  The body is the Lord's.

All things are permitted for me, but not all things are of benefit.  All things are permitted for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.  1 Corinthians 6:12

We cannot be controlled by anyone or anything but God.  Are you being controlled or dominated by something?

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God and that you are not your own?  1 Corinthians 6:19

You are not your own.  You were bought with a price so glorify God with your body.

3.  Physical margin is an act of worship.

Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.  Romans 12:1-2

This Romans 12:2 poster is available here.

 You can have physical margin.  In fact, God wants us to have physical margin.

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize?  run in such a way that you may win.  Everyone who competes in the games exercises self control in all things.  So they do it to obtain a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.  Therefore I run in such as way as not to run aimlessly; I box in such a way as to avoid hitting air; but I strictly discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.  1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Start with small wins.  Small wins every day are good.  Here are a few tips.

Go to bed on time.

Slow down and rest.

Jesus said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath."  Mark 2:27

When you aren't at work, don't be at work.  Be home.

Find physical margin in Christ.

Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Matthew 11:28

Keep all things in perspective.

There is a high price for sin.  Jesus paid it.

You will never make a greater decision than the one to follow Jesus.

Will you follow Jesus today?

This post was written from my personal Bible study notes taken during my pastor's sermon.  You are invited to watch that sermon in its entirety here.

 

You might also like the following previous posts in our Margin Series:

Overload:  We are not blessed in busyness

Make the Best Choices:  A Lesson from the Story of Mary and Martha

How To Deal With How We Feel:  Don't let the devil rob you of your emotional margin space.

Setting Relationship Margins

Creating Financial Margin Space

The Cure for a Bad Attitude is Gratitude

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Setting Physical Margins

Setting Relationship Margins

This post is taken from my personal Bible study notes during my pastor's sermon titled "Relational Margin."  

Relational Margin

My church pastors are taking us through a series called Margin.  It's about the margin space we need in life so we don't overload ourselves.  With enough margin space, we can make better choices and deal with our emotions.  With enough margin space in our relationships, we have all the time we need to love the most important people in our lives. 

In order to prioritize relationships, we need to prioritize our time.  Time is limited.  

So then, be careful how you walk, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.  Ephesians 5:15-16

Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow.  For you are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.  James 4:14

Man is like a breath.  His days are like a passing shadow.  Psalm 144:4

Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.  Psalm 90:12

This Psalm 90:12 Scripture wall decor is available here.

Time is fleeting.  Let's not fill it up with the wrong things.  What is taking up all your time?  Who is taking up all your time?

Jesus could have picked any number of disciples, but he only picked 12.  

We need relational margin.

We need to concentrate on our most important relationships.  

1.  God

2.  Spouse

3.  Children

4.  Our Work, Our Calling

How do we nourish our relationship with God?

Read God's Word every day.  Attend church weekly.  Pray every day.

This Beautiful Word Coloring Bible is available here.

How do we nourish our marriages?

We must take time for each other.  Our spouses are not our business partners.  

Ladies, submit to your husbands as the church does to Christ.

Husbands, love your wives as Christ loves the church.

Dialogue daily.  Date weekly.  Depart quarterly.  Make time to get away together.  

This Fireproof Couple's Kit is available here.

How do we nourish our relationships with our children?

Teach our children what the Bible says about obedience.

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  Honor your father and mother which is the first commandment with a promise so that it may turn out well for you and that you may live long on the earth.  Ephesians 6:1-3

We cannot farm out the discipleship of our children to others.  We must teach them and nourish them at home.

When can we nourish them?  We can take advantage of the time we have with then in the mornings while everyone is getting ready for the day, during the drive to school, 

Whenever the kids are captive, teach them about Jesus.  Take advantage of every opportunity.

Plan to have dinner together at least several times per week.  Someone suggested a rose/thorn conversation at dinner.  Talk about the best part of your day (the rose).  Listen to your kids when they tell you about the thorns, the parts of their day that hurt.

At bedtime, talk, pray, and read.  Time is fleeting.  My "children" are now 24, 27, and 29 and I have a 1 month old granddaughter.  I know all too well how fleeting time really is.  Trust me when I say:

Take advantage of every opportunity to nourish and disciple your children.  

Let's talk about technology.  One of the biggest time thieves of our time is technology.  

Listen closely, parents:

Do not let your children hold the devil's word in their hands.

There are positive and useful things about technology.  Without it, I couldn't be writing this post and you wouldn't be reading it . . . but we are adults.  Technology can be dangerous for children.  In fact, without parental wisdom and Godly parenting, technology IS dangerous for children. Parent wisely.

An unmonitored phone is like playing Russian Roulette with your child's life.

Someone recently mentioned the idea of relationship worship.  Are we worshiping others before worshiping God?  Even our children?  Are we placing our "family activities" before our family time with the Lord?  

I know this is an area where I could have done better when my kids were growing up.  They are all doing well now but looking back, I can see areas where we were placing "family fun" before worship.  There were too many places where opportunities were too available for them to stray. 

Honor Begins at Home is available here.

How do we nourish our work, our careers, our callings?

Again, we must prioritize our time.  We need to do away with time killers and time wasters.  Many of the time killers in our personal lives area also time killers in our work lives.

What sin or sins are sucking up our time?

Sexual immorality, laziness, gossip?  Other sins not mentioned?  What came to mind when you read that question?

What about other things?  Alcohol?

And do not get drunk with wine, in which there is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.  Ephesians 5:18

For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of indecent behavior, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties, and wanton idolatries.  1 Peter 4:3

We need to ask ourselves . . . is my life defined by my sin or my Savior?

What about "toxic" relationships . . . relationships that lead only to sin?  Are there any of those in our personal lives and work lives where we need to draw boundary lines?

Let's end with an open question.  

How can God change our families if we start focusing on the right relationships today?

This post is taken from my personal Bible study notes during my pastor's sermon titled Relational Margin.  You are invited to watch that sermon here.

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Relationship Margin

Make the Best Choices: A Lesson from the Story Mary and Martha

The story of Mary and Martha as recorded in the gospel of Luke 10:38-42 is a short one.  The story about these two sisters with very different personalities is only 5 verses long but in those 5 verses, we learn a very important lesson about making choices.  In our first lesson in my pastor's Margin series, we learned that we are not blessed in busyness.  We need margin in our lives so that we avoid overload.  In this second lesson in my pastor's Margin series, we learn that we need margin in our lives in order to make the best choices in life.

Make the Best Choices;  A Lesson from the Story of Mary and Martha

This post written from my personal Bible study notes taken during my pastor's sermon titled Choose Best.  His sermon was based on Luke 10:38-42.  Let's look at this passage in the Bible.

Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. And she had a sister called Mary, who was also seated at the Lord’s feet, and was listening to His word. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do the serving by myself? Then tell her to help me.” But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; but only one thing is necessary; for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”  Luke 10:38-42

Margin is the space between our load and our limit.  It is our breathing room and we need a lot more of it.  Hurry is hurting us.  We need margin space in our lives because that space is where the best things happen.  

Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

A deeper relationship with Jesus helps us create margin space in our lives because a relationship with Him helps us make the best choices.

Make the Best Choices: A Lesson from the Story of Mary and Martha

1.  Martha had a margin problem.

Martha was social, outgoing, an organizer, and a leader.  She made things happen.  Those are all good things but remember our last lesson?  We are not blessed in busyness.

If the devil can't get us to be bad, he will get us to be busy.  Busyness eats up our margin space.  Martha was distracted because she was doing too much.

Did you notice that Martha even interrupted Jesus?  WOW

But that's not all . . . 

Martha accuses Jesus of not caring about what she is doing.

Martha soured a sweet moment.  She actually bosses Jesus.  Can you imagine?  Do we ever do that?  

Before you answer that question, let's think about all the times we have prayed for something but then told God how we wanted Him to answer our prayer.  If we are truthful, we are as guilty as Martha so maybe we shouldn't be too hard on her.

Let's remember that too many "things to do" leads to more frustration and more opportunities for failure.

2.  Mary made the best choice.

Mary had spiritual margin space.  Mary chose Jesus.

More time with Jesus makes us wiser with our schedule and changes the direction of our day.

3.  Jesus is the simple solution.

Jesus said that only ONE THING is necessary.  He doesn't guilt us.  He convicts us.  Jesus doesn't pile burdens on us.  He takes them off.

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you.  Matthew 6:33

Come to Me, all 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.  Matthew 11:28-29

B - Being

U - Under

S - Satan's

Y - Yolk

Look at that again.  BUSY - Being Under Satan's Yolk

That is not a place we want to be.

Choose the yolk of Jesus.

This post is written from my personal Bible study notes based on my pastor's sermon.  You are invited to watch the sermon in its entirety as it is preached by our senior paster in the video below. 

Make the Best Choices:  A Lesson from the Story of Mary and Martha

If you follow this blog, then you are someone who cares about others.  Hopefully, you are a believer in the Gospel of Jesus.  If you are, then you are someone who is focused on serving others in various ways.  If one of your spiritual gifts is service, then you are not just focused on serving others but driven by it.  Or maybe you are someone who, no matter what your strengths and weaknesses might be, you just can't say "no."  Listen closely.  We are not blessed in busyness.  We cannot serve effectively if we are overloaded. 

Overload:  We are not blessed in busyness.

Stop striving and know that I am God.  Psalm 46:10

Remember this.  Overload is bad.  We can't keep flying through life as fast as we can.  Even race cars need pit stops.  We all need margin to have time and room for pit stops.  We need time to rest.  We need time to refresh anything worn out, whether physical or mental.   

Overload: We are not blessed in busyness.

It helps to determine where we are overloaded.  Here are a few of the most common areas in our lives where we might experience overload.

*Our Activities (Activities are good, but we don't have to do EVERYTHING.)

*Our Choices (Choose wisely.)

*Our Commitments (It's hard to fulfill our commitments if we are overloaded with them.)

*Our Finances (Stay out of debt.)

*Our Information (Have you ever heard of "information overload?"  We live in a world of constant notifications.  I actually have most notifications turned off of my computer and my phone.  I don't need to know the second someone sends an email or every time someone posts on social media.  All of that can't wait.)
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*Our Work (A good work ethic is important, but too much work takes time away from our families.  We must carefully manage our priorities.)

What do we do when we are overloaded? We should take a break. In our current culture of overload, we are sleeping less and resting less. When electricity was discovered, light invaded our nighttime. Sleep is essential for good health. Not getting enough rest is not healthy, and our bodies suffer. Overload causes both physical and spiritual health problems. When we are overloaded, we spend less time in the Bible. An overloaded life is an enemy.​

I am not as ease nor am I quiet.  I am not at rest but turmoil comes.  Job 3:26

We need margin.  Margin is the opposite of overload.

Margin is the space between our load and our limits and is related to our reserves and resilience.  It is a buffer, a leeway, a gap, the place we go to heal, to reflect, to recharge our batteries, to focus on the things that matter most.  Richard A. Swenson

This book is available here.

Margin is the gap between rest and exhaustion.  When margin decreases, our relationships suffer.  Margin is good.  Margin is Biblical.  God gave us the example when He rested on the 7th day of creation.  Margin gives us breathing room.

What does breathing room look like?  

Talking with family.

Dinner at the table.

Worship time.

All good things happen in the space of margin.  We need both physical and spiritual margin.  We need margin so God can use us.

What are things that help us gain more margin in our lives?

​We need to know our limitations.  

I have seen a limit to all perfection.  Your commandment is exceedingly broad.  Psalm 119:96

Everything has limits.

Since his days are determined, the number of his months is with You; and You have set his limits so he cannot pass.  Job 14:5

Our culture lies to us when it says, "MORE, MORE, MORE is better!"  Our culture will never let us slow down and rest.  "All things are possible" is misquoted a LOT.  We have limits.  Many of us carry loads much too heavy for us to bear.  

We need to evaluate our motives.  We don't have to do everything or be at every event all the time.  We can't keep up with everybody all the time.  

A tranquil heart is life to the body, but jealousy is rottenness to the bones.  Proverbs 14:30

The following graphic is complimentary to you. It reminds us that we will serve God and serve others better when we allow margin space in our lives. 

​Simply right-click and save. 

A tranquil heart is life to the body.  Proverbs 14:30

What drives us into overload?  Is it comparison?

Not that I speak from need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am in.  Philippians 4:11

We are not born content.  We learn contentment by being still in the presence of God.

One had full of rest is better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind.  Ecclesiastes 4:6

We need to be realistic about what we can and cannot do.  We cannot over commit.  

We need to do some subtracting.  If we are overloaded, something or some things have to go.  We need to take some things off the to-do list.

It is a trap for a person to say carelessly, "It is holy!"  And after the vows to make inquiry.  Proverbs 20:25

It is easier to stay out than to get out.  Mark Twain

It is easier to get into something than to get out of something.  

We should ask God for wisdom.

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.  James 1:5

Stop striving and know that I am God.  I will be exalted among the nations.  I will be exalted on the earth.  Psalm 46:10

We need to be still.

We need to unload our overload.

We need to live FROM God's affirmation, not FOR it.

Let's be still and hear the heartbeat of God.

God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.  John Piper

God is our refuge and strength, a very ready help in trouble.  Psalm 46:1

Let's hear from God and make good decisions about our margin space.

One habit we should adopt in order to create adequate margin space is to go to church.  We need to attend church regularly.  By regularly, I mean every week, every single Sunday, not just occasionally.  

Let me leave you with a few questions: 
​
In what area is God calling you to be still today? 

What is He calling you to subtract? 

What is God telling you to take off of your to-do list in order to create a healthy margin space for what is most important?
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Start creating more margin space in your life today so that you can serve God and serve others effectively.

*This post is written from my personal Bible study notes taken during my pastor's sermon.  You are invited to watch the sermon here.

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