Staying Grounded When the World Is Loud

by Pastor Krista Price
Week of February 9, 2026

Lately, it feels like everything is competing for our attention. Opinions are louder, reactions are faster, and the cultural noise never really quiets down. Even moments meant for simple enjoyment—like a big game or a shared cultural event—can quickly turn into battlegrounds of commentary, outrage, and division. It’s exhausting if we’re honest.

I was reminded of that recently while reflecting on how easy it is to get pulled into all of it. Not just watching what’s happening, but watching the reaction to what’s happening. The back-and-forth. The takes on the takes. Before long, we’re no longer grounded—we’re just reactive. And that’s usually the moment when I realize my focus has drifted.

Scripture has a way of gently but firmly calling us back. In Romans 12:2, Paul reminds us not to blend into the culture so seamlessly that we stop thinking, discerning, or paying attention to what God is doing in us. When we fix our attention on God instead, something shifts. We’re changed from the inside out. We begin to recognize what draws us closer to God—and what slowly pulls us away.

That’s been a helpful question for me: Is this bringing out the best in me?

If something stirs constant frustration, hardens my heart, or distracts me from love, peace, and wisdom, it’s worth stepping back. That might be a piece of media, a conversation, a habit, or even a situation that once felt manageable but no longer is. Letting go isn’t weakness—it’s discernment.

Being “in the world but not of it” doesn’t mean withdrawing from everything around us. It means choosing where we give our attention and guarding our hearts with intention. God doesn’t drag us down to immaturity—God brings out what is good, true, and whole within us. And when something consistently does the opposite, we’re allowed to loosen our grip.

As you move through this week, I invite you to pause and ask yourself what you’re focused on—and whether it’s helping you become the person God is shaping you to be. Sometimes faith looks less like engaging every argument and more like quietly turning our gaze back to Jesus.

Grace and peace to you as you do.