4 Tips to Find Your Own Way in a World of Information Overload

Living in the information age is wonderful, isn’t it?

What can I use as a substitute for a can of diced tomatoes?

What are the best things to do with children in Asheville, NC?

These are a couple of the searches I’ve typed into my phone during the past week. The answers to these types of questions save me hours of time. How would I ever find the answers I need without the internet? It’s hard to imagine.

Searching for Answers

But there is a flip-side to the benefit of having information at our fingertips 24/7. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has lost myself down a rabbit hole. I’ve searched for answers to questions like How can I get my baby to sleep? or What is the best way to organize my stacks of files and papers? Questions like these are open-ended with no set formula or script. There are as many answers to certain questions as there are individuals on the planet. Even so, I search with the hope that my next Google session will show me the perfect plan suited for my exact life circumstances. The promise of an easy answer brings me back to the glow of my computer or phone instead of seeking out wisdom from the Bible or in prayer, the true wells of wisdom.

Information overload can leave us paralyzed instead of equipped to follow Christ in daily life.

Information overload can leave us paralyzed instead of equipped to follow Christ in daily life. Click To Tweet

The era of Pinterest-perfect, Instagram-worthy ideas leads us into the false belief that there is a “best way” of doing almost anything in life. We seek out inspiration and information, but after hours of browsing, reading, and re-searching, we’re left frazzled and no closer to having a sleeping baby or an organized file cabinet.

I have fallen into this pattern many times in search of the “best way” to do something. It’s tempting to believe we can find a perfect solution from someone who has gone before us. The problem is, many of the questions that trouble us have conflicting answers or aren’t solved with a step-by-step solution.

When One Size Doesn’t Fit All

When I was a high school student learning how to study my Bible, seek God in prayer, and generally live my life for Christ, I heard that I should do a quiet time.

Here’s the formula. You wake up early in the morning to find an uninterrupted period of time before your day starts. First, you pray a short prayer, then you read your Bible and maybe a devotion. Write and pray some more, and then you’re done and ready for the day.

I recognize that this script comes with good intentions. As a believer and Christ-follower, discipline is necessary for spiritual growth. The formula given to me was intended to shape a daily routine and a lifetime of devotion to scripture and prayer.

All or Nothing

The rule-follower in me believed that if I didn’t follow this process precisely, it wasn’t worth doing at all. If there exists a best way to accomplish something, then that’s the way I want to do it. Why would I put effort into something if I know from the start that it’s sub-par?

Even as an adult, I’ve heard it said, “Well, yes, you can meet with God at any point during the day, but it’s really best if done first thing in the morning.” For years I lived with guilt that I wasn’t able to spend time with God in the right way. As a result, I would let days or weeks go by without opening my Bible.

It’s by the grace of God that I found myself still drawn to Him, still drawn to His word, and still striving to figure out a regular rhythm of Bible study and prayer.

Piecing Together My Own Rhythm

Despite my discouraged state, I found other ways to commune with God—praying during daily tasks, leaving my Bible open on my desk to pick up throughout the day, and singing worship music in the car.

Throughout the years I’ve tried out different devotionals and journals. Sometimes I wrote out lengthy prayers. I tried to become an early riser, and failed. I read books on Bible study and listened to Bible teachers while folding laundry.

Somewhere along the way I began feeling less like a failure and more like someone who was seeking God rather than a formula.

There’s nothing wrong with an early-morning quiet time, and one day my life circumstances may accommodate it. In the meantime, I won’t give up on seeking God in unconventional ways, even if it doesn’t fit the script outlined by others.

This is just one example of a time that I took information like a puzzle piece and tried to jam it into a hole in my life where it just wouldn’t fit.

Boil the issue down to what matters. Ditch the recommendations from others if they don’t jive with your life. Piece together your own plan, and leave the guilt behind.

Finding Your Own Way

When you’re in the midst of establishing rhythms, managing daily tasks, or maintaining relationships, how do you battle the overload of information and find your own way? Here are some tips that have helped me step away from Google and find solutions for my one-of-a-kind life.

1. Lay a foundation of truth. “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16 ESV) We need a foundation of truth and wisdom for making life decisions. Try different formats (written or audio) or a new time of day. You could even try writing out verses or saying them aloud.
2. Pray. Many times I’ve wrestled with an issue in the back of my mind, and when I discuss it with a friend she’ll ask, “Have you prayed about it?” After thinking a moment, I sheepishly reply that no, in fact, I’ve been too busy trying to find an answer. How often do you also overlook this important step? “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” (James 1:5 ESV)
3. Find resources that resonate with your way of life, but approach them as inspiration and not a prescription. If you find someone else’s method that works as a step-by-step solution in your life, then by all means adopt it. Most of us need to tweak ideas to fit our lives.
4. Talk to a friend or write down your thoughts. It’s important to specify the issues that matter most for your particular situation. Finding this clarity of thought often requires speaking the issue aloud or journaling about it to explore the options and extenuating circumstances that are unique to you.

Let’s give ourselves permission to craft our own rhythms, routines, and habits looking to God for the wisdom we need.

Have you ever struggled with information overload? What are some ways that you cut down on the overwhelm and find solutions that fit your life? Let me know!