Today I’m excited to share with you an interview I did with Drew Dyck, focused on his new book Just Show Up (Moody) which was released at the end of 2023. Drew has been a writing acquaintance for many years due to our mutual book partner in Moody Publishers, and we’ve been able to connect a few times with us now not living too far apart.
Drew’s writing style is so accessible and he’s one of the funniest guys I know. His latest book brings up some themes that I was glad to talk through with him recently. Enjoy the interview!
Me (Tyler): Your new book Just Show Up provides those who struggle with the pressure to perform with a lot of empathy. Your last book's emphasis was on self-control and discipline, so this in some ways feels quite a bit different. How did you end up making that move from writing about discipline to writing about presence and faithfulness?
Drew: I’m kind of a lazy guy by nature. That’s why I was attracted to the self-control topic. I realized there was a big gap between my beliefs and my behavior—and that a lack of self-control was often the problem.
I guess I was drawn to the topic of my new book for the same reason. I know I can’t always be the best. I can’t even by my best. But I can be there. I can show up for the people and opportunities God’s placed in my life. I felt like that lowered the bar, in a good way. Perfectionism is paralyzing. But just showing up is less intimidating. I can do that.
Tyler: This newsletter is primarily focused on contending for the faith, with a core idea that we must push past passivity to instead embrace discomfort for the sake of becoming more like Christ. How do you see your idea of "just showing up" as mixing with contending for the faith?
Drew: I love that theme! Unfortunately, I think when a lot of people hear about “contending for the faith” they think of arguing about theology online. But it’s so much bigger than that. Throwing verbal grenades on social media is easy. Sitting down with someone when they have questions about God, or when they’re in a crisis, that’s contending for the faith too. And it’s a lot more uncomfortable. But we’re people of the incarnation. Following Jesus doesn’t just require having the right beliefs; it means imitating the way he engaged with others. I’m struck by how physical his ministry was. He touched diseased skin and disfigured limbs. He had kids jumping on his lap and prostitutes anointing his feet. Even when he taught, he often did so with people literally pressing against him. He showed us that there’s no substitute for being present with people.
Tyler: I loved the chapter on "playing the role" which was your take on a "fake it till you make it" sort of mindset. Moses was one of your main examples—a guy who often thought less of himself but slowly grew into the role God had for him. How would you encourage someone who feels they're in a role (parenting, job, school, etc) far beyond their capability?
Drew: I’d encourage them to shift their focus. Instead of obsessing about your gifts and qualifications for the role, think about the ability of the One who called you to it. I love how God responds when Moses insists that he’s too “slow of speech” to confront Pharoah. God doesn’t give Moses a pep talk. Instead, He reminds Moses of who came up with the idea of speech the first place. “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say” (Ex. 4:11–12).
That’s so freeing. It means when God calls you to do something, His abilities matter more than yours. The Bible is filled with stories of God calling people into roles they weren’t remotely ready for. But if you depend on God’s strength instead of your own, amazing things can happen.
Tyler: You wrote about working remotely and the struggle it presented in balancing work and family. How can individuals strike a healthy balance and prioritize presence in both spheres?
Drew: It’s a constant struggle. One thing that has helped me is to put clear boundaries around my work. When I first started working from home, too often I ended up scattering my work across a sixteen-hour window. And that took a toll on my family. On more than one occasion, Grace would fling open the door to my office in the evening, a spatula in her hand and a kid clinging to her leg. “You plan on joining us at some point?” The question, I learned, was rhetorical.
So, a while back I instituted a new rule. No working after 5:00 p.m. At first, it was scary. What if there’s an emergency and I had to work late? But I had to admit I was being a tad dramatic. I’m an editor and author, not a trauma surgeon. No one was going to die if I returned an email late or missed a typo. Setting a clear stop time, was a healthy acknowledgment of the limitations imposed by being a husband and father. Stepping away from my computer at 5:00 p.m. every day was a concrete way of confessing my finitude. I wasn’t going to accomplish anything more for the day. It was over. The work would be there tomorrow.
My point isn’t that you should adopt the same work schedule as me. But you should get comfortable with stopping, with embracing your finitude. Only God is infinite.
Tyler: Just Show Up touches on the negative impact of busyness and distraction on our ability to be present. What are some common barriers to presence, and how can we overcome them in our daily lives?
Drew: Be present wherever you are. It’s so easy to use our phones to just check out. But when you’re with your family, try to be truly present with them. When you’re with friends, give them your full attention. Being perpetually distracted takes a toll on you and the people you love.
Tech is a huge challenge, one that previous generations didn’t have to deal with. We’re constantly listening to a podcast, or scrolling social media, or watching Netflix. If you don’t set clear limits on your use of tech, it will crowd into every corner of your life.
I always urge people to use what some have called “bright lines” strategies, hard and fast rules about tech. For instance, you might say, no screens after 7 pm. One thing my family tries to do (imperfectly) is have a no-screen Sunday. We aren’t always successful, but when we are, it’s a little slice of heaven. The kids aren’t glued to the TV. Mom and dad aren’t zoning out on our phones. We look each other in the eyes, get out in nature. You’ll never regret spending more time together.
Be sure to grab a copy of Drew’s new book!