Over the past month, I have taken on a small but intentional practice. After listening to a news podcast or reading a major news story, I immediately turn to Scripture. Each day, it has been Matthew 5.
This has not pulled me away from the world. It has helped me stay rightly rooted in it.
The news keeps me informed, but Scripture keeps me formed. Ending my news intake with the words of Jesus has helped me stay focused and grounded in the kingdom work God is doing and in the kingdom vision God keeps inviting us to see.
The Weight of the News
Most days, the news feels heavy. Stories of violence, division, injustice, and uncertainty pile up quickly. Even when the reporting is careful and necessary, it can quietly shape my posture toward the world. I notice how easily frustration rises, how quickly fear can settle in, and how tempting it is to see people as problems rather than neighbors.
When I stop after the news and turn to Matthew 5, something shifts. The weight does not disappear, but it is carried differently.
Hearing Jesus Again in Matthew 5
Matthew 5 opens with blessings that do not sound like headlines.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3, NIV).
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5, NIV).
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9, NIV).
After hearing stories driven by power, conflict, and fear, Jesus keeps pointing me toward humility, mercy, and peace. Reading these words again and again has helped me remember what actually matters in the kingdom of God.
Jesus does not deny the brokenness of the world. He speaks directly into it. But he also refuses to let brokenness have the final word.
Salt, Light, and Perspective
The news often leaves me asking, “What is going wrong?”
Matthew 5 gently asks, “How are you called to live?”
“You are the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13, NIV).
“You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14, NIV).
Those words ground me. They remind me that my calling is not to fix everything I hear in a podcast or read in an article. My calling is faithfulness. It is to live in a way that reflects the character of Christ in the middle of a complicated and hurting world.
Ending my news intake with Scripture keeps my imagination anchored in God’s kingdom rather than pulled only by the urgency of the moment.
Staying Focused on Kingdom Work
This practice has helped me notice where God is already at work. Compassion where cynicism could take root. Faithfulness that never makes headlines. Quiet acts of mercy and courage that reflect the reign of God more clearly than any breaking news alert.
When I let Scripture speak last, I am reminded that God’s kingdom is not fragile. It is not dependent on the latest story or the loudest voice. God is still drawing people toward righteousness, mercy, and peace, and still inviting us to participate in that work.
A Practice I Plan to Keep
Reading or listening to Matthew 5 after the news has become a spiritual reset. It helps me breathe, pray, and see more clearly. It keeps my heart oriented toward Christ and my attention focused on the kingdom vision Jesus keeps placing before us.
I plan to keep this rhythm. Not because it shields me from reality, but because it roots me more deeply in the reality of God’s reign.
A Closing Prayer
Jesus,
When the news unsettles us, speak again your words of blessing.
Teach us to see the world through your kingdom vision.
Shape us as salt and light in places that feel heavy and broken.
And keep us faithful to the work you are already doing.
Amen.
R Y A N S T R A T T O N 