Dealing with Information Overload

thinking by Gabor Kalman at freeimages.com

thinking by Gabor Kalman at freeimages.com

Do you ever leave a great class feeling worse about yourself than when it began?  The speaker didn’t want to communicate this message, but they presented such material that it overwhelms you!

Being a preacher, I can feel like this sometimes when I go to a lectureship or conference.  The speakers do a good job and you hear some wonderful lessons. But you come away thinking something like this:

  • I need to read 50 books a year to be a “good preacher” like that brother who talked about the importance of reading.
  • I need to make 20 visits a week to be a “good minister” like that brother who grew a church from 75 to 200 in 3 years.
  • I need to practice all of my sermons out-loud to be a “good speaker” like that incredible speaker who says he does that to everyone of his sermons.
  • I need to pray for one hour a day to be a “good disciple” like that brother suggested in that powerful lesson on prayer.
  • I need to baptize 10 people this year through personal studies and knock on 3,000 doors to be a “good evangelist” like that one brother said in his lecture on evangelism.
  • I need to spend 1 hour a day with each child (I have four) in quality time in order to be a “good father” like that parenting expert said in his lecture.
  • I need to take my wife out on a date once a week and send her a card each week to be a “good husband” like that marriage speaker said.

Now you read that list and figure out how I am going to do all those things that are needed!  There is a temptation to want to just throw my hands in the air and say, “I am just going to fail!”  I wonder in what ways I should try to improve, because I certainly can’t in all of them.

Can you sympathize?  I know my wife can as she has spoken to me many times about this idea when it comes to women’s classes and lectures.  Just get a woman to really tell you what they think about that virtuous woman in Proverbs 31 they hear so much about!

I don’t have the answer to this overwhelming feeling.  I certainly am not blaming it on the speakers, the books, or the advice of others.  But here are some thoughts I use when I face this challenge, I hope they will help you too.

  1. I try not to learn too much!  Jerrie Barber taught me this principle.  He calls it the “Mustard Seed” principle from the teachings of Jesus (Mark 4:31).  It is the idea of focusing on one small idea that you can use in your life.  I call it a rifle, rather than a shotgun approach.  If you try to learn and do it all at once, it overwhelms you, but you focus on one area and apply it now.
  2. I try to honestly assess my present situation and make changes in the area, or areas, needed most.   I need to be challenged.  I need to be pushed out of my comfort zone.  I need to be motivated.  So I need to honestly see what areas I can do better and make necessary changes.  A part of this evaluation is considering my strengths and weaknesses.  The key part of this evaluation is seeking to maintain balance and discipline throughout all the needed areas of life and ministry.
  3. I fight the temptation to compare myself with others.  Paul taught us not to compare ourselves with others, but to seek to imitate Christ (2 Cor. 10:12).  Our goal is to be maturing into the fullness of the stature of Christ.  I can always find someone far superior, likewise, I can find someone far inferior.  My aim should be to find strength, wisdom, and guidance from the examples of others, but not overly compare myself with them. We are different people, in different situations, with different strengths.
  4. I determine to do my best, understanding my individual accountability to God.  While it can be fearful, it can also be peaceful to understand that God is our judge.  We are judged based on our faithfulness of the talents and resources we have to use (Mat. 25).  My responsibility is to prayerfully do my best, trying to balance all of the needed areas of focus.
  5. I realize that busyness is not a virtue.  The temptation is to try to do everything which requires us to burn the candle at both ends!  We have to cut out recreation and rest.  We can become legalistic with our time and accomplishments.  Busyness is not a grand virtue.  Yet, we will drone on-and-on telling others all that we have been doing and have to do as if that gives us worth and value.  We feel bad to say we were unproductive or actually just rested and relaxed.  We often have the wrong emphasis. In the end, there is only so much time in a day, and we can’t do it all!

There could be more, but these are some principles that help me when I feel overwhelmed and unable to measure up to others in my mind.

What suggestions would you add?

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2 comments

  1. Paul was a type A personality and I doubt if he had not gone to prison would we have the letters to the Christians. I imagine he struggled with information overload as well. I pray everyday, “Help me to see appointments and interruptions as divine appointments from God.”

      • Josh on March 22, 2016 at 11:30 am
        Author

      Good thoughts and a great prayer Joseph!

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