When the News Overwhelms, Keep Folding the Laundry

It’s in the news: hate, conflict, death.
It’s in our text threads: misunderstandings, drama, broken relationships.
It’s at the doctor’s office: unexpected diagnoses.
It’s in our own hearts: stress, anxiety, and the temptation to spiral into despair.

There is more than enough to keep our hearts heavy and our minds caught in cycles of fear. How do we press on in the work God has given us when the chaos of this world presses in from every side?

In our homeschool, my kids and I learn and sing a new hymn each week. Today’s hymn was “Holy, Holy, Holy,” and one particular verse struck me:

Holy, Holy, Holy! though the darkness hide Thee,
Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see,
Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,
Perfect in pow’r, in love, and purity.

Paul exhorts believers in Colossians 3:16 to be “admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” Hymns saturated with sound doctrine reorient us—lifting our eyes from what is below to the One who reigns above. Though the darkness clouds our vision, though our sin distorts our perspective, the reality remains: God alone is holy. There is no one like Him. He is perfect in power, love, and purity. Scripture testifies that He is all-knowing—nothing surprises Him. This means that no diagnosis, no headline, no tragedy is “new” to Him. When all we see is doom and gloom, He stands unshaken—our Rock, Strength, and Firm Foundation.

Guarding Our Minds and Hearts

But we must fight to fix our minds on these truths because distractions constantly compete for our attention. Yesterday, my husband preached an incredibly encouraging message from Habakkuk—a prophet who cried out to God in a time when evil seemed to triumph, justice was absent, and sorrow was everywhere. God’s reply? Habakkuk would not understand His plan but God chose to reveal a part of it to him anyways and the news shocked Habakkuk. In fact, things would get worse before they got better reminding us that our thoughts are not God’s thoughts and God’s ways are not our ways (Is. 55:8-9). Yet through every up and down of God’s plan, His glory shines and His covenant promises remain.

That lesson applies to us. God has entrusted us with work—whether through a vocation outside the home or the labor of discipling children within it. This work is not about busyness but about kingdom advancement, and it always requires death to self. We put our hands to the plow and refuse to look back, confident that God has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. Much of this labor feels ordinary, even unimportant, especially when the world clamors with “greater” events. Yet we must remember: God has established perfect order, systems, and structures for how we are to live—beginning in our own hearts, then flowing into our homes, and outward into our local church and community. Far more is taking place in these contexts than we often perceive. Therefore, we press on with hope, knowing that this world is not our home and that a day is coming when God Himself will wipe away every tear.

But in order to endure, we must guard our hearts. Some burdens are beyond our control, like a medical diagnosis. But others are within our reach. One common snare—especially for women—is overconsumption of news and social media. While not inherently sinful, a steady diet of 24/7 headlines rarely builds us up. Instead, it fosters anxiety and helplessness over matters we cannot change. Yes, we should be informed. But we must also discipline how much space the news takes in our hearts. God has not wired us to carry the weight of the world. If our mental energy is consumed by faraway events, do we have room to notice our neighbor’s need? To answer our children’s questions? To encourage those God has placed directly in our lives?

Filling Our Minds with What Endures

Guarding our hearts is not only about avoiding what harms us; it is also about actively pursuing what nourishes us. Colossians 3:16 begins, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” God’s Word is our sustenance. Through Scripture, He has provided everything we need for life and godliness.

Psalm 1 reminds us that blessing does not come from meditating on the news or our problems, but from meditating on God’s law “day and night.” The one who does this is like a tree planted by streams of water—rooted, fruitful, and unshaken.

Let’s be honest: clinging to the chaos of the world is not what will hold us together. This is why Scripture repeatedly commands us to hold fast to our confession, cling to what is good, and abide in Christ. In Him, we are held together. By His life, death, and resurrection, He freed us from sin, gave us new hearts, and sealed us with His Spirit. And now, by His grace, we can bear the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. If He is the source of our salvation, He is certainly the source of our perseverance. These Holy-Spirit empowered fruits are not abstract virtues; they are what enable us to fold laundry while the world burns, prepare meals when relationships are strained, and pray for others even as our own bodies falter.

The beauty of Scripture is that it not only gives us endurance but joy-filled endurance. How else could Paul minister with joy amid shipwrecks, accusations, and plots against his life? The secret to his contentment was Christ in him. So keep making the bed. Keep packing the lunches. Keep pressing on. Do it knowing that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you (Philippians 4:13). Trust that “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). And remember, though the world goes from bad to worse (2 Timothy 3:13), we are called to stand firm in the faith.

And by God’s grace, that is not an impossible task.

So will you join me in this—seeking Christ not only in the great trials but also in the mundane tasks? As we fold laundry, sweep floors, teach lessons, and prepare meals, let’s fix our eyes above. Together, in the ordinary rhythms of life, we can reflect the glory of our holy God who rules and reigns over all.