The warmer New England weather this week made afternoon walks and evenings on the patio hospitable for contemplation. As silence swept in, I was able to replay several occasions on which God dropped a note of grace—moments where God was unusually present, and where I sensed him reminding me of truths I need to hold close to my heart.
First, four verses from Proverbs reminded me of the necessity of living with intentionality–of giving thought to my ways. I don’t want to sleepwalk through life. I want to live with focus and purpose, which requires sober-mindedness (that is, not living by my impulses) and patient reflection.
Here are the four verses:
“The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways” (Proverbs 14:8).
“The simple believe anything, but the prudent give thought to their steps” (Proverbs 14:15).
Desire without knowledge is not good; how much more hasty feet miss the way!” (Proverbs 19:2).
A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is one’s glory to overlook an offense” (Proverbs 19:11).
Second, James Quinn’s beautiful piano piece “Blue Hour” brought a sense of inner tranquility. It aids in patient reflection and helps me write. I hope you enjoy it.
Third, the ever-present reality of social media, the seemingly incessant need to post pictures and videos of ourselves online, and the inner drive to turn life into a performance, brought a memorable observation from Henri Nouwen to mind. Nouwen claimed that while in the wilderness for forty days and nights, Satan tempted Jesus with the “three compulsions of the world”:
To be relevant (“turn stones into loaves”).
To be spectacular (“throw yourself down”).
To be powerful (“I will give you all these kingdoms”).
I think Satan tempts us the same way.
For years, I wanted to be relevant, spectacular, and powerful. It’s what compelled me to pursue more, achieve more, and do more. Why? Well, at least part of the reason was so that I could post pictures and brag about it on social media.
But then I got a piece of advice from someone wiser than me. It went something like this:
Pursue goals and accomplishments that would still matter to you even if no one else ever knew about them.
If your motivation depends on recognition, praise, or attention, then you’re not really pursuing the goal for its own sake—you’re pursuing other people’s approval. And when your satisfaction depends on what others think, it will always be fragile and incomplete.
The healthiest goals are the ones you’d gladly pursue even in private, because their value isn’t found in being seen, but in who they help you become.
Think, pray, ponder.
Jot down your own “notes of grace” and share them with me.
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