The Need For Balance
Children's sermon
That Seeing, They May Believe
52 Children's Object Lessons
Object:
Two objects that you can balance on your hand. One should have a wide base. (A 4x4 that is several feet long will suffice.) The other can be a yardstick or a broom handle, or something like that. Practice with this narrower object so that
Purpose: To stress the need for a balanced life and for personal
responsibility for it.
Lesson: Have you ever tried to balance something on your hand,
like this stick? It is not easy to do. (Show.) You have to
practice a lot. Now, if I try to balance something that has a
wider base, it is easier. (Show.)
The same rule applies no matter what the shape of the object I
am trying to balance. The rule is this: To balance it, you must
have the same weight on all sides of the center. If you get too
much on one side or the other, it will fall. (Show this by
slightly tilting your hand with the wide-based object on it.)
As we look at the world around us, we see that there are many
types of balances. How hot it would become if the sun were to
shine all the time. The night balances the day and with the
coming of darkness, we have a cooling effect. Think how many
insects there would be if we had no birds or bats to help remove
them. Many of the creatures of nature work to keep
things in a proper balance so that we do not have too many of
this or that.
We also need to see that our life is balanced. All work and no
play can hurt life; and all play and no work is just as bad. Life
is made up of many things, and we must be careful to keep all the
parts of life in a proper balance. If we do not, then all life is
affected by that part that is out of balance. For example, people
who ignore the worship of God, who do not keep this experience as
an active, real part of each week, soon find that the reality of
God has disappeared from all of life. Jesus pointed to the need
for balance when he said, "Man shall not live by bread alone."
(Matthew 4:4)
Now, the working out of a proper balance between all the parts
of a life is an individual matter. Just as I must hold my hand in
the right position to balance this object, so each person must
work with his or her own life to see that all things are in a
proper relationship to all the other parts. Remember also that
the best way to keep life balanced is to have God at the center
of your life.
Possible Times To Use This Illustration In The Home:
* Upon returning home from a circus or other show where jugglers
performed.
* When a child spends too much time watching television or in
some other activity.
responsibility for it.
Lesson: Have you ever tried to balance something on your hand,
like this stick? It is not easy to do. (Show.) You have to
practice a lot. Now, if I try to balance something that has a
wider base, it is easier. (Show.)
The same rule applies no matter what the shape of the object I
am trying to balance. The rule is this: To balance it, you must
have the same weight on all sides of the center. If you get too
much on one side or the other, it will fall. (Show this by
slightly tilting your hand with the wide-based object on it.)
As we look at the world around us, we see that there are many
types of balances. How hot it would become if the sun were to
shine all the time. The night balances the day and with the
coming of darkness, we have a cooling effect. Think how many
insects there would be if we had no birds or bats to help remove
them. Many of the creatures of nature work to keep
things in a proper balance so that we do not have too many of
this or that.
We also need to see that our life is balanced. All work and no
play can hurt life; and all play and no work is just as bad. Life
is made up of many things, and we must be careful to keep all the
parts of life in a proper balance. If we do not, then all life is
affected by that part that is out of balance. For example, people
who ignore the worship of God, who do not keep this experience as
an active, real part of each week, soon find that the reality of
God has disappeared from all of life. Jesus pointed to the need
for balance when he said, "Man shall not live by bread alone."
(Matthew 4:4)
Now, the working out of a proper balance between all the parts
of a life is an individual matter. Just as I must hold my hand in
the right position to balance this object, so each person must
work with his or her own life to see that all things are in a
proper relationship to all the other parts. Remember also that
the best way to keep life balanced is to have God at the center
of your life.
Possible Times To Use This Illustration In The Home:
* Upon returning home from a circus or other show where jugglers
performed.
* When a child spends too much time watching television or in
some other activity.
