It’s been a while since I’ve sat down and written something new. This week I pulled away from social media and blogging to work on things at home. Things which are real, tangible, and meaningful to those of us in our family.

I’ve been able to sit on my porch and drink coffee in the morning before the task ahead of me. Reading in the Old Testament while birds chirp and I smell the summer air.

Familiar things–things which are real

We had garage sale, moved some bedrooms around, painted, reorganized, and donated unused items.

It feels good.

In the brief time I watched TV on or looked at social media, I come away feeling empty and distracted. Security breeches, downed stock markets and failing economies. More ways to market this and  someone who’s doing more and better.

I’m active in many domains (education, mental health, church, ministry, the writing world, the speaking world, social media, and small business). The added things, messages from Twitter, TV, Facebook, and online magazines add even more layers to an already full life.

In midst of things “out there” screaming and distracting me, only one thing brings perspective and authenticity my day–God’s word.

I’ve been reading in 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles. I’m strengthened with truth I read His word. Though long ago, the kings of Israel and Judah had things screaming at them, too. But their success or failure depended on one thing–their relationship, their faithfulness, and obedience to God.

I don’t believe our world is any more complex, even though it’s exponentially changing in all areas. In the professional worlds I listed above, things change quickly from year to year. Just when you understand a procedure, it changes.

Do things like that happen in your world?

As Christians in a culture that’s spinning faster than your smartphone can keep up, there’s only one answer to all of it:

Your relationship, faithfulness, and obedience to God.

God declares that He doesn’t change (Malachi 3:6). If He doesn’t change, then His principles and His character doesn’t change. No matter how sophisticated or how fast things change, God doesn’t.

Can I be honest?

I’m not going to predict when God will decide His world has gone too far and He sends His Son to gather His children home. What I do know is that culture, and people, are drawn away from what is practical, real, and good.

Worse yet, Christians are drawn away from God’s word and the simplicity of a personal relationship and obedience to Christ.

This summer, in the midst of all the things I have before me, God’s been quietly pulling me to Him, closer and closer. When I lean into Him and listen, His answers for anxiety and fear are right in scripture. He gives me opportunities to believe Him at His word. To trust and obey.

There’s no other way. God’s word brings peace and balance to a full plate. It provides God’s perspective and releases me from everyone else’s.

The same is true for you. What’s distracting you from His word? What are your anxieties? Are you pulling away and seeking God’s truth and perspective for your situation?

It’s the only way.

What causes fear and anxiety in you? How can you lean into Him more?