Information Overload

Thank God for Google.  It really is cool and amazing that we have any tidbit of knowledge available at just the click of a mouse (or tap of the finger for us smart phone users) .  If I want to find a recipe that uses truffle oil, I can Google it and countless options come up within seconds.  If my baby has a fever, I can find out when it's serious enough to call the doctor.  If I want to know the best way to fold a fitted sheet or how to make a burlap flower, I can look it up and watch a video showing how to do it in step-by-step fashion.  Facebook even offers a wide range of information and articles on all subjects to read, and not to mention all the thoughts and obscure details in the life of the individual.  The sky is the limit when it comes to what's available on the internet.

But with that I have a confession to make... Lately all this readily available information has been somewhat of a downfall for me as well.  Not only is there a lot of good factual information out there that is helpful, there are also a LOT of opinions.  On every subject.  Like food choices, parenting styles, how to discipline (or not discipline) your kids, theology, handling money... The list is endless really.  These are just a couple of the biggies.

Let's use food as an example. I may read an article about how we must eat all organic, free-range, grain-fed, meat, dairy and eggs with no hormones and no antibiotics, purchased from a local farmer who raises their animals humanely.  Then the next day I read an article about couponing and cutting costs at the grocery store and how I could save so much money by purchasing from certain stores or certain brands.  The two articles cause me to become conflicted.  I feel like I should eat healthier, but I also feel like I should save some money on groceries.  The point I am trying to make is that the information overload can cause confusion.

The problem for me with spending too much time reading about what other people think and say about things is that I often miss what God is saying to me about it.  This also applies when we're not being careful about whose opinions we seek and listen to.  James 1:5-8 says "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all his ways."  Who or what do we go to first when we have a question?  What you just read says that if we ask God for wisdom, He gives it to us liberally...when we believe and not doubt.  Having too many opinions swirling around in our minds can lead to doubt so quickly!

So here's what I have been doing: I have been taking an unofficial fast from mindlessly reading articles and listening to opinions.  In doing this, the interference in my connection line with the Holy Spirit has been diminishing.  I am better able to hear His direction for things in my life.  I am learning to make more confident decisions this way because I know that my new-developing confidence is coming from the Giver of confidence Himself.  Care to join me on this journey?