Choosing Wisdom in an Age of Ease

How deeply God must love us to give us such amazing gifts—new mornings with sunrises brushed in rosy pinks, peaches, and violets; rains that richly bless the earth. Fresh air, cool breezes, soft sunlight dappled through a forest, and fluffy clouds drifting through the bluest of skies… These small everyday miracles surround us and continuously unfold.

But God has also given richly within our relationships—the warmth of friendship, the belonging of family, and the joys of togetherness. Each day is a gift, along with the beautiful opportunity to converse, connect, laugh, and love.  And God not only gives us beautiful things to experience, but also the mental and spiritual space to notice them—to reflect, to wonder, and to think deeply.

And yet, more and more, we move through these gifts as if they were background noise. It is not because we are intentionally pushing them away; we’re just “somewhere else.”

Somewhere Between Chicago and Phoenix

I’ve always loved to people-watch, as quiet little thoughts float by... “I wonder where they’re from,” “Sweet family,” “…he’s handsome”. It’s just one of the many reasons I love to travel.  But this time, I found myself watching a bit closer, wondering who might end up in the seat beside me. Our flight was from Chicago to Phoenix. My husband and I were headed to a resort in Phoenix, thanks to a performance award trip through his work. After a long Kentucky winter, I was more than ready for the desert sunshine. We had booked through his company, so we weren’t seated together, which was ok. He enjoys sleeping through about 98% of any flight anyway.

Before reaching my row, I remember thinking, she seems pleasant, she can sit here.  But she passed by. However, a few minutes later, she returned and slipped into the seat next to me. There had been a bit of pre-flight musical chairs, as passengers shuffled to sit together.

We exchanged polite hellos. During the first part of the flight, I read, and she worked on her computer. About halfway through, her daughter came by to ask the infamous, “How much longer?” When she walked away, I smiled and asked her age. Her daughter was close in age to mine, which gave us instant common ground. It’s universal; all moms are part of the “mom club” in some way. And just like that, the conversation began.

Her name was Dr. Katherine Moore, a professor at Arcadia University just outside of Philadelphia. She teaches neuroscience and psychology, with a focus on how our minds work—attention, perception, memory, and the problems of multitasking.

I love to learn new things, especially when it comes to the mind. She had me at “cognitive psychology.” Our conversation carried us through the rest of the flight as we exchanged thoughts, ideas, and observations. 

Katherine and I talked extensively about AI and its fascinating capabilities. Of course, I have my own thoughts about trusting anything too much without a God-given spirit. And she, as a professor, spoke from her perspective as well, including the concerns of inaccuracy and the dangers of leaning on it too heavily.

At one point, sharing an analogy that stayed with me. When her students are tempted to hand off their work, she tells them to think of it like this: you wouldn’t pay for a gym membership, show up in your workout clothes, and then sit down while a robot lifts the weights for you. There would be no benefit.  I love that—and the same is true for us. If something else does the work for us, we miss out on what God wants to do within us.

For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. Philippians 2:13

And “God’s good purpose” does not always come with ease.  I can attest.

But it’s human nature to choose ease, and tools like AI are just one more way to make things easier. But we have to remember: easier is not always better (the same is also true for parenting and marriage as well).

In many ways, we’ve given up time together for social media, and now, little by little, we may be handing over our ability to think and to discern. Convenience, as it turns out, is inconveniently reshaping not just how we live, but how we think.

Another example that Katherine mentioned was GPS systems. She wished they worked more like a game, something that rewards engagement. Imagine if your GPS, instead of simply telling you where to turn, asked, Which way do you think you should go? (And if you answered correctly, you’d hear a cheerful ding, ding, ding.)

But the goal is simple, stay aware of our surroundings.  Personally, I like for my GPS to simply tell me where to go. But when I stop and think about it, that’s exactly what I’ve been trained to want—the ease without the effort.

And as Christians, this concept is extremely important for our lives. We must know first where we stand, and then where we’re headed.  And God’s Word alone provides the wisdom that we need to discern that. 

What’s Shaping Us

What we repeatedly choose to engage with shapes not only what we know, but who we become. Scripture calls us to an active, attentive life of the mind, one formed by intention. We are told in 2 Corinthians 10:5 to take every thought captive. This is not passive language.

It requires ongoing and active participation in the work God is doing within us.  We are called to grow spiritually as we continue adding to our wisdom. And we don’t grow by avoiding personal effort, but rather by leaning into it. This requires both space and attention. So, we must be careful that in scrolling, searching, and outsourcing tasks, we don’t slowly begin to hand over our God-given ability to think, to discern, and to engage. Technology can make a wonderful servant, but a horrible master. For we have only One Master, and His ways are eternally higher.

So how do we live this out? Well, we don’t have to reject what is modern or retreat from the world (although some days a deserted island seems tempting). But rather, we intentionally and repeatedly return to God’s word to help us.

Here are three scripture verses to anchor us and guide us.

-        Be still, and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10

This is the place where we get to let go of our worries and trust in our divine Creator. We trust Him with our difficulties, but also with daily living. We may have a bazillion answers at our fingertips, but true wisdom will forever belong to God alone.

-        Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind. Romans 12:2

This verse reminds us, as Christ followers, that we are to resist being shaped by the behaviors and the often-misaligned values of our culture. Rather, we stay close to God, seeking to be continuously transformed into the likeness of Christ. This applies to anything (or anyone) that’s influencing us.

-        Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24

Our Creator knows us better than we know ourselves. So, we come to Him, asking for His purification, so that our offensive ways might be confessed and removed. Being transparent with God humbles us and creates intimacy with Him, and it reminds us that it is the opinion of God that matters most.

 

An Open Space

When our flight arrived in Phoenix, Katherine and I wished each other well as we parted ways. She was heading to the Grand Canyon with her husband and three children. They had also been separated earlier due to a flight out of Chicago, which made room for an unexpected and meaningful conversation. In different ways, we were both stepping away from the noise, the work, and the constant demands of daily life into a more open space.

The desert was beautiful. The warm sun, the open skies, and new sights met me with quiet joy and left me with a grateful heart. And within that wide, open landscape, there was room to think, to breathe, to notice, and be still.

Sometimes this kind of quiet finds us when we least expect it, but most of the time we must intentionally create it.  For the quiet is never empty, yet alive with the wondrous presence of God. And with Him we find space to worship… space to wonder… and space to quietly seek His wisdom. 

He brought me out into a spacious place. - Psalm 18:19

3-2-1

3 Scripture Verses, 2 Quotes,

and 1 Question to Consider

3 Scripture Verses:

 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise,  making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.  Ephesians 5:15-16

Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  Ephesians 6:11

Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.  Jeremiah 6:16

2 Quotes:

“Technology is not in itself opposed to spirituality and to religion. But it presents a great temptation.” - Thomas Merton

“I fear the day technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots.” - Albert Einstein

1 Question to Consider:

Am I moving through my days with awareness and discernment—or am I on autopilot?