I recently had the opportunity to interview the Rev. Dr. Sarah Han. She’s a professor at Tyndale University in Toronto (and also a friend) who is writing a book about “margin.” 

Having margin in your life is having mental and emotional space in your life. It’s also having a schedule which isn’t consistently jam-packed.

Sarah makes the case that if we don’t have margin, it is hard to seize the opportunities God puts into our life to serve him or bless others.

Let’s be honest. A lot of people struggle with this. So one of the things she recommends is to have an honest look at your schedule and ask: “Is there space for the kingdom of God in my daily life?”

She references Jesus’ words in Luke 17:21: “the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.” If God’s kingdom is really in our midst, are we able to respond to it and act upon it?

Yes, there are times when we all get busy. But if it’s always like that we may be missing opportunities to help someone in need, or tell someone about Jesus, or show hospitality, or… 

Sarah is a winsome, intelligent, down-to-earth person, whose faith is both sincere and contagious. If you have some time, I encourage you to listen to (or watch) our conversation. You can access the links below.

Either way, let’s think proactively about making margin. Let’s start to build in buffer—mental, emotional and scheduling space—to be a part of what God is already doing in our midst.

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Notes:

–Podcast: “Making margin in your life for discipleship—a talk with Sarah Han.” Click here to listen or watch, or look for ‘The Pulse Podcast with Matthew Ruttan’ wherever you subscribe to podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music, Audible or TuneIn.

–Sermon: “Finding joy when you don’t feel it.” February 5, 2023. Click here to watch or listen.

–Bible quotes are from the NIV.