Some Personal Thoughts For You to Consider

After a month of putting up with my daily devotionals through Proverbs, you will be grateful to know we're back on track and featuring various TMC writers this month as we journey through the Psalms.

Tomorrow, Tim Vanderpool will kick us off by looking at Psalm 1, but before he does, I thought it might be a good moment to pause and share some personal thoughts.

Life comes at us fast, and Andy Stanley said, "There are problems to be solved and tensions to be managed." As I take a moment to reflect as we head into this fall, I realize there are three constant tensions I wrestle with day to day.

Tension 1: The Grind of The Good

Last week, I was completing some yard renovations that, quite frankly, I should have hired someone else to do. But I pushed myself to complete them and wound up with a whopping headache Friday evening (I have these weird dust allergies).

There was a time when life was slower, and I felt like I was constantly seeking out new clients, trying to build connections, and connecting with friends. At this present moment, that is not the case. Work is busier than it's ever been, family responsibilities only increase, and I'm entering a world where I'm finding I have to use a word I struggle to find in my personal dictionary—no.

You might be there.

It's not that life is bad. It might be very good, but you're constantly moving, constantly grinding, and when others ask how you're doing, it's all you can do to keep from saying, "busy!"

Tension 2: The Struggle of Distraction

A TV show, an Amazon purchase, or dreaming about purchasing a new workout station (that last one is oddly specific for a reason!). All micro distractions that are kind of good, kind of bad.

Even if you don't feel like your personal bank account is reflecting an "abundant lifestyle," my guess is you still struggle with the many luxuries of living at this prosperous point in history. Your phone that keeps you connected but pulls you from meaningful connection. Your AI tool that makes your job easier, but leaves you wondering if you will be replaced.

Tension 3: The Mixed Bag of Life

Life has a way of throwing so many jagged rocks our way.

One day, life can feel like we're living on Easy Street. Then the next, a health diagnosis that changes everything. And there is the constant tension we wrestle with as we enjoy the blessings of life, while remembering our very limited, very finite mortality.

The joy of watching kids grow older, while feeling sadness that they're doing so far too quickly. The gratitude of a wonderful job, while the feeling of restlessness at never making the impact we hoped.

Your One Desire

It's in this world of busyness, distractions, and jagged rocks that I'm reminded how important it is to guard my soul.

Several weeks ago, I sat down for a call with Jay Papasan, a terrific writer who has sold more than 4.5 million copies of his bestselling book The One Thing. As you might surmise, even if you haven't read the book, Jay is passionate about focusing on one thing and doing it very, very well.

And for Christians, I'm reminded that the most important calling on our lives is to guard the state of our souls.

Life will tug at you from all directions. It will tell you to take a million and two rabbit trails you shouldn't follow, and urge you to sacrifice what's most important on the altar of the urgent.

This is why we need the Psalms.

In this upcoming series, I invite you to spend this month quieting your soul and listening intently for the voice of God. Make him your one desire.