The Power of Margin

“Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it. This is what the Lord Almighty says: Give careful thought to your ways.” Haggai 1:5–7 (NIV)

Some Scriptures feel like they were written thousands of years ago for another people in another place. But then there are passages like this one words that cut straight through time and land right in your living room. Haggai could have been writing about the modern family: working harder than ever but still exhausted; filling calendars to the brim yet feeling empty; watching paychecks vanish as if the purse has holes in it.

And then comes God’s charge, repeated twice so we don’t miss it: “Give careful thought to your ways.”

A few years ago, a man asked to meet with me. He walked in smiling; the kind of smile people wear to hide what’s really going on. But when I asked how he was really doing, the mask slipped. His eyes welled with tears, and the truth spilled out.

His marriage was in trouble. His kids were slipping away from him. His finances were chaotic though he made good money, there was nothing left at the end of each month. His health and his wife’s health were both declining.

And one phrase came up again and again: “I just haven’t had the time.”

“How often do you and your wife go on dates, just the two of you?” I asked.

He shrugged, “I just haven’t had the time.”

“How often do you sit with your kids, no TV, no phones, just talking and laughing?”

Same answer.

Over the next months, I heard it again not just from him, but from his wife and children too. “I just haven’t had the time.”

This family wasn’t lazy. They weren’t even irresponsible. They were busy too busy. Their lives had no margin. Every ounce of energy, every dollar, every moment was spoken for, leaving nothing in reserve.

But here’s the beautiful part: over time, as they intentionally began rebuilding margin into their days, everything changed. Their marriage began to heal. Their finances stabilized. Their health improved. Their kids leaned back in. What looked unfixable began to restore not through more hustle, but through more margin.

I’ve often reflected on my own upbringing. My mother was the hardest working woman I’ve ever known. She raised 38 foster children plus her own four kids. That’s 42 children! She worked 18 hours a day, 7 days a week. Her motto was: “There is no rest for the wicked, and the righteous don’t need any.”

That became the motto of our entire family. Work. Work. Work. From daylight until dark.

As a high school freshman, my day started at 4 a.m. I milked 100–200 cows, showered, ate breakfast on the run, then drove to school. I attended classes until noon, went home to work the ranch, then back to school for basketball practice. After practice, home again, quick supper, collapse into bed then back up at 4 a.m. to do it all over again.

One day, my mom admitted to me quietly, “Son, I’m tired.” I tried to lighten the moment by reminding her of her motto. But she surprised me. “I fear that’s not true after all,” she said. “I’m sorry I taught you wrong.”

She had said yes until she had no more yeses left. And I grew up doing the same.

The word that changed everything for me was No.

My wife Tammy handed me a book one day called Boundaries. Other than the Bible, no book has shaped me more. It taught me that love doesn’t mean saying yes to everything. Healthy love sometimes requires saying no.

Because here’s the truth: if you never say no, your yes will lose its meaning.

The dictionary defines margin as the portion of a page left blank the white space around the words.

Healthy families leave white space. Unhealthy families cram every inch full.

Margin is created and protected space. It doesn’t happen by accident you must fight for it. Margin is also the bare minimum below which life becomes unsustainable. If you push below that margin, marriages break. Kids disconnect. Health declines. Joy vanishes.

That’s exactly what Haggai was describing: people running hard, busy and exhausted, yet empty and unfulfilled.

When your margins are gone, every yes automatically becomes a no to something else:

   •   Say yes to more work, and you may be saying no to your spouse.

   •   Say yes to endless activities, and you may be saying no to family connection.

   •   Say yes to lifestyle spending, and you may be saying no to generosity.

   •   Say yes to everyone else’s demands, and you may be saying no to God.

Margin isn’t just about time it’s about money too. Haggai said wages were going into purses with holes. Sometimes the solution isn’t more money, but more margin.

Cancel subscriptions. Adjust spending. Brew your own coffee. Protect generosity. Build cushion. God’s blessing often flows into the space we intentionally create.

Jesus gave us the starting point: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)

I always tell people start with a Bible and a blank calendar. First, schedule God: worship, prayer, His presence. Then schedule your spouse: a weekly date. Then your family: dinners, downtime, connection. Only then fill in work and commitments.

Margin is where God speaks. It’s where families breathe. It’s where relationships heal.

Jesus invites us: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

Margin isn’t wasted space, it’s sacred space. It’s where rest is found, where family thrives, and where God restores.

So, take a blank page today. Protect your white space. Because the power of margin is the power to live whole, healthy, and close to God.