And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Hebrews‬ ‭6‬:‭11‬-‭12

How do I tune my heart to hear and know the truth amidst the noise of the world? How do I do that without being a recluse and while actually participating in life?

It’s incredibly noisy, at least for me. I am hit with a barrage of advertisements and my attention is hijacked at every turn through the day. Materialism is rampant and I have not been excluded from its grip.

Pockets of reprieve are necessary for me. Moments of silence. Time and space between me and the noise. But I cannot simply ignore responsibility by retreating entirely.

The beginning of a day is a crucial time that, if I wake soon enough, allows me to separate from the noise without neglecting my family or responsibility.

Some days it is incredibly connective and meaningful quiet time with God.

Some days it is simply going through the motions without feeling like it.

The lie that the undercurrent of addiction and ultimately, the enemy, would have me believe is that it’s not worth doing if I don’t feel the effects. That I should feel good about this spiritual discipline.

I’ll never feel good all the time—even doing pleasurable things. I proved that in my active addiction. That this thought would creep back into my mind is evidence that my addiction does indeed take work to keep at bay.

Furthermore, the partial truth is fully evident. I do feel better most of the time when I’m carrying out spiritual practices. They may not be pleasurable in the moment, but the accumulated result of a life bent toward keeping first things first feels real good.

God, thank you for the assurance of my walk with you.