Pastor, author, and speaker Touré Roberts, who founded Potter’s House megachurch campuses in Los Angeles and Denver, is sharing what he calls a universal approach to finding peace in a new book, Balance: Positioning Yourself To Do All Things Well (Zondervan, out now). The book draws on Roberts’ marriage to author Sarah Jakes Roberts as well as psychology and spirituality to explore ways to increase productivity, improve relationships, and more.
Webster Younce, v-p and publisher at Zondervan Books, says Balance “calls readers to a deeper sense of self-care, of listening to the spirit, and ultimately, to a place from which they can give their best to others while remaining whole.” PW talked to Roberts just ahead of the book's launch April 26.
With everything happening in the world—political, global, and health concerns—why is this book about self-discovery and wellness so important, now?
What's interesting is Balance has been delayed two times. It was supposed to come out last year. I almost believed that there was something divine at work, as it relates to the timing. Now we're facing the possibility of World War III, the pandemic hasn't gone away, we're seeing inflation happen—the world is out of balance right now. One chapter, Surrendering to Peace, speaks from the premise that peace is something that is actually available at all times. So even when the world is out of balance, when it's in chaos and we're having a difficult time finding peace, I've discovered there is a discipline to actually surrendering to the peace that's already there.
Why did you decide to include psychological findings as well as spiritual teachings in the book?
We live in the information age, and people aren't taking things at face value anymore. With a keystroke they can have thousands of books. I'm not convinced that you can just take out the Bible and assume that others—even the people that are sitting in your pews—have fully subscribed to that as absolute truth. There are things that psychology can speak to. I quote people like psychologist Abraham Maslow and research from Harvard studies. It’s very similar to how I approach teaching on Sundays, because we're preaching in a different world—I like to give people a little bit of what I think that they need, to ultimately get them to what I know they need.
What is the most important thing you want readers to take away from the book?
People say all the time, “I just need to find balance,” as if it were this magical formula. People think if they could just tweak one thing, then they would find it. It really isn't a formula. For me, balance is so much bigger than that. Balance is not about trying to figure out how to divide yourself up and give pieces of yourself to the things that are important in your life. Well-balanced people are better people. They have better relationships. They are more patient. They are more thoughtful. They love themselves. Balance for me is learning how to become your best self, and then giving your whole self to those things that matter the most.
