Ponds, not wells: the peace that stays
Ben develops the ponds-vs-wells metaphor: the things people chase — money, sex, identity, emotional self-knowledge — are ponds, not deeper wells, and 'they both look the same from the surface'; you have to wade in to your waist and go 'well crap.' The anchor question stays 'how's that working out for you?' The difference faith offers is not higher highs but peace and contentment that stays: 'God's peace stays until God lifts it... if he says it stays, it stays' — unlike the middle-age pivot ('I farmed carrots in San Fernando Valley and I drink Corona's all day. And I finally found peace') which gets measured in days. Dan's youngest daughter — straight As, name on a plaque, never needed God — has a deep, rich relationship because she saw authentic faith: 'we were never different at home.' Stephen Bartlett of the Diary of a CEO podcast told Wes Huff's interviewer there's something about Christian guests 'you just don't see everywhere else,' and the hosts agree the Christian facade ruins the vibe: 'walk humbly with Jesus' and let frailty show. Ben closes the loop admitting he may be blind to his own ponds — 'maybe it's actually my inability to answer the question' — and is told to pray on it.
Clips from this
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Why seeing Christian joy matters
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Peace that doesn't require the high
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God's peace doesn't move like ours does
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You have to taste the pond to believe it's a pond
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More on Contentment
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Should following Jesus feel more comfortable as time goes on?
- Should following Jesus feel more comfortable as time goes on?
A host asks whether following Jesus should feel more comfortable as time goes on — noting the low-level tension many feel around am-I-doing-enough and the stigma that contentment equals laziness.
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Dear LFTP: how do I end the holiday newsletter?
- Is there any way to end a family member's holiday newsletter that makes the reader depressed with envy?
A listener in their sixties dreads a family member's annual braggy Christmas newsletter of accomplishments, expensive trips, and photos, and asks whether there's any way to end it — asking the hosts to tell everyone to stop with holiday newsletters.
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The satisfaction exercise
- What does it actually take for me to feel satisfied?
A host proposes an exercise: honestly write down what it takes for you to feel satisfied, then check how much of the list is shallow.
From No. 402 · It’s OK to Stay Home
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Dear LFTP: the self-talking, complaining coworker
- How can I get my constantly complaining friend to enjoy our daily walk instead of moaning about her job?
A listener walks daily with a friend who complains about her job nonstop and asks how to get her to enjoy the break instead of moaning for 20 minutes.