How many times have we wished there were more hours in a day? How many times have we asked ourselves, "Where did the time go?" How many times have we felt guilty for not spending enough time with our friends, family, and loved ones? Many people find themselves surrounded by responsibilities and overwhelmed by their to-do lists. As a result, they bring irrevocable physical, emotional, relational, monetary, and spiritual damage upon themselves. How can we eliminate such overload and all the negative side-effects associated with it?
Dr. Richard Swenson has the answer. In his book entitled, Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives, Dr. Swenson takes an in-depth look at the consequences and solutions to the overload that plagues the lives of so many people in our modern society.
Living without free time, according to Dr. Swenson, would be like trying to read a piece of paper with the words written from one end to the other, top-to-bottom, with no room in between. Dr. Swenson makes it very clear that lack of margin in our lives is responsible for the many struggles we face. Progress has indisputably made our lives easier but has adversely given us more to do, which results in a decrease of free time and margin in everyday living. The author includes a variety of suggestions by which we can add margin to our lives.
The author often speaks out of personal experience as a physician, adding credibility to his words. He uses colorful illustrations and engaging stories. The book is particularly attractive because of its message. Margin-less living is something that we all have experienced, and while some feel the strain more than others, anyone can benefit from the suggestions the author recommends.
But what most engaged me was the book's Christian perspective. Dr. Swenson argues that we can't serve those around us when we're stuck in "survival mode." He also makes it clear that our bodies need rest. That is the way God created us. That is why He gave us the Sabbath. Most modern "self help" books are not written from a Christian perspective. Instead, they promote self-reliance and self-sufficiency rather than dependence upon and obedience to Jesus. Thankfully, Margin is not one of them.
Margin is a relevant and well-written book that is definitely worth the time to read. It is logical, engaging, and extremely informative. Most importantly, it wakes us up to what is really important in life.
Life should not be about how many responsibilities we can check off of our to-do lists. Rather, it is about what we can do for others. It is about what we can do for God's glory...and we certainly can't bring others into His kingdom if we are constantly swirling in the vortex of our busy schedules.
Creating margin in one's life can be a daunting task, but reading Dr. Swenson's expert advice offers an excellent start.
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