LIFESHAPES: The Triangle

I find balance in life living in the UP, IN, and OUT rhythm of Jesus – Roald

If you examine a day in the life of Jesus, you’ll notice a consistent rhythm—a balance of relationships in three key directions:

UP with the Father
IN with His disciples
OUT with the world

How does your life compare to His balance? How can we imitate His way of living?

A Simple Illustration: The Triangle

Draw a triangle and label its three points: UP, IN, and OUT.

Now, take a look at Luke 6:12-19, which captures a typical day in Jesus’ life. As you read, can you identify this pattern in action?

Verse 12 – UP: Jesus spends time alone with the Father in prayer.
Verses 13-16 – IN: He gathers and invests in His disciples.
Verses 17-19 – OUT: He engages with the crowds, healing and teaching.

Now, reflect on Jesus’ actions in each area. What specifically did He do?

More importantly—can you do the same?

What would you need to change?
What would you need to learn?
What would you need help with?

Assessing Your Balance

Most of us naturally emphasize two of these areas and neglect one.

Which of the three—UP, IN, or OUT—do you lean toward?
Which one do you tend to neglect?
What needs to shift for you to live with Jesus’ balance?

Challenging Questions for Each Area

UP: Connecting with the Father

Do you fully trust in God’s acceptance of you?
What does your time in the Word look like?
Do you use “God-talk” or spiritual activities to hide from personal struggles?
Are you engaging in God Himself, or just busy with Christian habits?
How is your prayer life—do you feel connected? Are your prayers effective?

IN: Life with Other Disciples

Are you suppressing emotions like anger, sadness, or fear?
Can you authentically share your struggles, joys, and failures?
Do you speak truth in love and challenge others when needed?
How do you handle conflict within Christian relationships?
Who are you discipling right now? Who do you need to forgive?
Are you actively engaged in Christian community or just consuming?

OUT: Engaging with the World

How does your faith show up in your workplace or community?
How would your co-workers or neighbors describe your faith?
Are your money, gifts, time, and abilities fully surrendered to God?
Jesus lived among people and brought God’s presence—can you say the same?
When was the last time you shared the Gospel?
Whose life has been changed because of you?

Reflection & Intentional Action

Which area (UP, IN, or OUT) do you tend to neglect?
What specific habit will you adopt to restore balance?
When will you commit to making this change? Would it be helpful if I {call, text, or check in}?
What will be different about your life when you do this well?

Practical UP, IN, and OUT Practices

📖 UP Practices (Deepening Your Relationship with God)

Reading and applying God’s Word
Prayer and deep listening
Fasting and seeking His presence
Solitude with God (Mark 1:35-37)

🤝 IN Practices (Investing in Christian Community)

Honest and accountable friendships
Small groups and discipleship relationships
Serving fellow believers

🌎 OUT Practices (Engaging the World with Faith)

Building trust and friendship with non-believers
Serving in the community
Sharing the Gospel intentionally

Starting the Conversation

💬 If someone mentions struggling with balance:
👉 “Balancing relationships along with everything else is tough. But there’s a simple way to get back on track. Can I show you?”

💬 If someone feels distant from God or spiritually “off”:
👉 “Sometimes when we feel ‘off,’ it’s because we’ve gotten out of balance. Want to see a simple way Jesus lived in full alignment?”

Jesus modeled a life of balance—not in isolation, not in constant work, but in a rhythm of UP, IN, and OUT – Roald

Are you ready to follow His lead?