Richard Swenson came and spoke about it a while back. In his book, entitled, Margin, Swenson writes, Margin is the amount allowed beyond that which is needed. It is something held in reserve for contingencies or unanticipated situations. Margin is the gap between rest and exhaustion. It is the leeway we once had between ourselves and our limits.
Margin is the opposite of overload.
If we were equipped with a flashing light to indicate 100 percent full, we could better gauge our capacities. As a result, many people commit to a 120 percent life and wonder why the burden feels so heavy. It is rare to see a life prescheduled to only 80 percent, leaving a margin for responding to the unexpected that God sends our way. Henry Cloud and John Townsend in their book, Boundaries, note that sometimes we have to say no to someone in real need, even though that is very difficult, or we will burn out. They encourage us to validate the person s need and have empathy for them, and to pray for them, and then to delegate to others, when we can t meet a particular need.