All Weekly Sharpening Posts

November 3, 2021

The Poised Life (Part 1)

Poise. I have come to love this word.  It’s antiquated, I know, so you rarely hear it.  But it’s a virtue that I wish to embody.

Here is my favorite definition:  Poise is having a keen sense of the appropriate in every situation. 

The poised life is one of gentleness, humility, confidence and boldness.  The key is knowing what every situation requires.

I love the word “keen.”  Keen is razor-sharp.  It’s focused and precise.  It’s another old-school word that you don’t hear very often.

I also believe that being poised is a lost art.  Too many people have lost the sense of the appropriate in any given situation.  When you are poised, you know how to act, how to respond, and how to lead regardless of what you are facing.  There is not a “one size fits all” approach to the poised life.

A situation might require you to run towards something or flee in the opposite direction.  It might mean speaking up or listening intently.  In some situations, you should laugh with abandon, and in others, weep unashamedly.  Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 makes it clear that there is a time for everything and season for every activity under heaven.

In other words, you need to know when to hold ‘em.  Know when to fold ‘em.  Know when to walk away.  And know when to run.  [Thank you, Kenny Rogers]

The Holy Spirit is the key.  We must be in tune with the Spirit, asking Him to direct us in every situation.  This is liberating and freeing.   It’s also empowering.  Knowing that I’m not alone, even in the most intense situations brings comfort.  I blow it when I act out independently of the Spirit’s leading.  I say hurtful things, talk when I should listen, respond in pride rather than humility and behave selfishly.

Like Timothy, we need Paul’s reminder of just how special and extraordinary the Holy Spirit is.  For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7).

What a gift!  It’s incredible to have this power, love and self-discipline guiding us in every situation we face.

More on living the poised life next week.

 

-Are you poised?  Or do you live in extremes? 

-Are you in control of your thoughts, words and actions? 

-Thinking about your life, do you usually understand what is required of you in any given situation?  Why or why not?