Recently I’ve been asking myself a simple question: What am I reaching for?

My phone the moment I wake up. An energy drink before I’ve even fully opened my eyes. My wallet when I think buying one more thing might make life just a little better.

These things aren’t inherently bad. They may not even be a crutch for you. But I’ve become increasingly convinced that there is something deeper beneath them. What we reach for often reveals what we depend on.

Reaching Reveals Trust

My wife and I have three little children under four. If you’re a parent, or if you’ve been around little children, you can probably picture this story.

Every morning, we get our kids up. We open their door, their blinds, turn off the sound machine, change their pull-ups, and begin our trek downstairs for breakfast. And every morning, before we head downstairs for breakfast, our two-and-a-half-year-old reaches both hands toward me at the top of the stairs and says, “Daddy, carry me, please.” I used to think he was just clingy or needy, but then I realized something: That’s what children do. It’s all he knows.

He’s reaching because he’s tired and he knows I can safely carry him down the stairs. Children instinctively reach for the one they trust. In many ways, that’s exactly what the Lord invites us to do.

That realization forced me to ask a harder question for myself: If my son naturally reaches toward the one he trusts, what do my own instincts reveal about what I trust?

My heart instinctively reaches toward whatever it believes will satisfy. Sometimes it’s my phone, caffeine, or shopping. Other times it’s a distraction from what’s in front of me.

But why do I do it? Because I reach for what I think will provide satisfaction or safety.

Our reaching reveals our worship.

Consider what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount:

So don’t worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matt. 6:31–34)

Scripture reveals that the habits and routines that form my life don’t always reflect how the Lord calls me to worship and live.

Instead of reaching for my phone to scroll, I’m called to reach for my Bible to be renewed. Instead of reaching for an energy drink to get me through the day, I’m called to depend on the Lord for lasting joy and strength to live for Him. And when I’m tempted to reach for my wallet to buy the next best thing, I’m called to discern whether my purchase is a need or a want fueled by my desires.

And we’re not just called to the omission of something, but to the submission under the only One who can satisfy more abundantly than we can imagine.

Redirecting Our Desires

The Bible doesn’t simply tell us to stop seeking satisfaction, it redirects our desires altogether. Rather than chasing the world, Christ invites us to seek Him and His kingdom first, trusting that He alone provides what our hearts truly need.

Every morning my son reaches for me because he knows I’ll carry him safely down the stairs. The question I’ve been asking myself is simple: When life feels exhausting, when anxiety creeps in, when I’m bored, when I need comfort, who or what does my head and heart instinctively reach for?

By God’s grace, I want that same instinct to mark my own life. That my instinct isn’t to reach for my phone, wallet, or another distraction, but that my first instinct is to reach for Him. Because what I reach for first often reveals what I trust most.