I think it’s fair to say that almost all of us dream of a better life. We would like to live comfortably without worrying about paying bills or buying what we need without squeezing the life out of every penny.

We have God’s assurance that He knows what we need, and He provides. We are told time and again not to worry or be concerned.
If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds (Matthew 6:25-26).

This is so reassuring. Why would we worry when our Father watches over us and provides for all our needs? All He wants from us is to live in our Father’s house as any child would do. Generally, children aren’t concerned about the parents’ responsibilities. We don’t ask our parents whether we will have food to eat, clothes to wear, or a bed to sleep in. We don’t question whether we will be able to go to school or continue with our studies. We live carefree, as all children should. This, however, caused me to wonder: Is it wrong to dream and desire better things in life? Does only eternity matter to God? Where do we draw a line? What does it mean to live a balanced life?

Time and again God assured us of His care.

If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met (Matthew 6:30-33).

Should we even desire earthly goods? Especially when God says: Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being (Matthew 6:19-21).
Why, then, do we focus on gaining possessions, position, power, or wealth? Why don’t we simply trust God to take care of our needs as we go about fulfilling God’s plans and purposes for our lives? We know He expects us to work.

Don’t you remember the rule we had when we lived with you? “If you don’t work, you don’t eat.” And now we’re getting reports that a bunch of lazy good-for-nothings are taking advantage of you. This must not be tolerated. We command them to get to work immediately—no excuses, no arguments—and earn their own keep. Friends, don’t slack off in doing your duty (2 Thessalonians 3:10-13).

We understand that He prepared good works for us before we were born. He doesn’t want us to slouch or be lazy. 
Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! We don’t play the major role. If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing (Ephesians 2:7-10).

I must admit that this is a daily battle, wanting comfort and earthly possessions, yet wanting to trust God with my needs. I haven’t figured everything out. Surely God knows that we need things here on earth that we won’t need in Heaven. Why else does He promise to take care of our daily needs?

What then about planning for the future, or providing for our children, investing, and saving for their education and our retirement? Isn’t it prudent to prepare for the future, whilst understanding that nothing in this life is guaranteed? Wealth and health can vanish in the blink of an eye. The only constant is God and the assurance that He will take care of us.

Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes (Matthew 6:34).

God didn’t discourage planning or being prudent. Consider that Joseph stored grain for famine (Genesis 41), thereby saving the lives of not only his father, brothers and their families, but the entire population of Egypt and surrounding countries. No, God wants us to be wise and industrious but he doesn’t want us to worry. 

When we read Proverbs 6:6-8, we clearly see how ants are an example of how God wants us to live. He wants us to be diligent and disciplined without having someone to constantly remind us of our responsibilities. The ants have no leader, yet they work hard to prepare for the winter by gathering food in summer. Likewise, we should be diligent to save during good times to prepare for our own winter seasons when our lives seem barren, cold, and challenging. We should prepare for unexpected situations in life. Look at how Jesus commended the shrewd manager in Luke 16:1-9. Even though the manager was dishonest in his actions, he used his resources wisely to build a support network for himself. 

God wants us to be content with our circumstances and what we have (Hebrews 13:5-6). He particularly warns against loving money. What then does this say about our desires to improve our lives?

Desire in and of itself isn’t sin. God wired us with aspirations. The issue is what we desire and why. James tells us that we don’t have what we need because we don’t ask God for it, or we ask for the wrong reasons. Our motives are selfish and center around our own comfort. We should align our desires with God’s will. Legitimate desires like wanting a stable home, education for children, health, and meaningful work align with God’s design. Anyone who does not provide for their relatives…has denied the faith (1 Timothy 5:8).

The dangers are found in idolatry when comfort, status, or wealth become our security or identity. Idols usurp God’s position in our lives. He is our Father who cares for us. We are not to live independently of His care (Matthew 6:24).

I still don’t have all the answers, and I struggle to find complete balance in my life. I don’t even know whether “balance” is the right word. Perhaps I’m looking for the right order in my life. Didn’t God say to put His Kingdom first? If I focus on God and His Kingdom, won’t all my other plans and desires fall into place? For now, I’m content to pursue improvement through God’s kingdom lens. I hope that I will continue to mature spiritually, work diligently, plan wisely, and hold outcomes loosely. I want to live with open hands so that God won’t find it impossible to bless me with new things because I’m holding on to past comforts too tightly.

If I find myself in the same position as Habakkuk (Habakkuk 3:17-18) where the fig trees don’t blossom and my life is barren and empty, where God doesn’t improve my circumstances, and what I have is as good as it gets, will I still praise God? If my answer is no, I know that temporary things have become idols in my life, and God is no longer first in my life. Life often isn’t easy. I understand that it’s more important for God to develop my character than keep me in comfort. I enjoy comfort. Growth is painful. However, I trust God’s love and goodwill toward me. He has never failed me and He never will.

How about you? How do you understand living a balanced life? How do you look at dreams for a better life?