I’ve been rereading the book Awe: Why it Matters for Everything We Think, Say, and Do by Paul David Tripp, because in a world filled with noise, busyness, and constant striving, it’s easy to miss what lies beneath it all: the deep-seated human capacity for awe. Tripp reminds us that we are wired for awe of God. He writes, “No other awe satisfies the soul. No other awe can give my heart the peace, rest, and security that it seeks.”

But this wiring for awe is at risk. Tripp warns that when our awe is misplaced, as when it is directed at ourselves, our possessions, or our successes, we lose our place before the One who deserves our awe. He says, “It is dangerous to live without your heart being captured by awe of God, because awe of God is quickly replaced by awe of you.” This awe wrongedness, as Tripp calls it, started in The Garden when the Serpent dangled in front of Adam and Eve the one thing they didn’t have: God’s position. Since that day when their awe of self overrode their awe of God, a great war over awe has raged within the hearts and minds of every person.

Why Awe of God Matters

• It roots our identity in God, not in self. Tripp argues that when we forget the glory and greatness of God, we begin to live as if we are the center of the story. We substitute vertical awe (toward God) with horizontal awe (toward ourselves or created things), and this shift has ripple effects in our hearts and communities.
• It reshapes everything we do. If awe for God controls our hearts, then how we work, relate, serve, parent, and worship is transformed. Every responsibility, relationship, or entertainment flows from and is affected by the gospel of Jesus that’s at the center of our lives. Tripp points out that “every awesome thing in creation is designed to point you to the One who alone is worthy of capturing and controlling the awe of your searching and hungry heart.”
• It guards us from dissatisfaction and idolatry. When we look for awe in the wrong places, such as material success, performance, and approval, we end up perpetually dissatisfied and anxious.

Refocus Your Awe

• Pause and point your heart upward. Next time you feel pride, envy, discontent, or anxiety creeping in, stop and ask: What am I giving my awe to right now? Redirect it to God by reflecting on His character, promises, and acts of grace.
• Use the ordinary to practice awe. Tripp invites us to trace awe “down to the most mundane of human decisions and activities.” Whether it’s work, conversation, rest, or service, let each act become an opportunity to honor the Creator. Hold yourself accountable by including others in your obsevations of awe by having conversations about God’s awesomeness.
• Check your awe-meter. A simple diagnostic: if you find yourself complaining more than praising, chasing more than resting, you may have an awe-problem. Confess, repent, and ask God to recapture your heart.

In reclaiming awe for God, we rediscover our place in the grand story He is writing. Our lives, then, are not about building little kingdoms ruled by self, but about abiding in the Kingdom of the King whose reign is perfect, whose grace is deep, and whose glory is infinite.

“Only when awe of God rules your heart will you be able to keep the pleasures of the material world in their proper place.”

Let our hearts overflow with awe, not just for a moment, but as our abiding posture.

Awe: Why It Matters for Everything We Think, Say, and Do by Paul David Tripp