Information.

Keys? Check.

Wallet? Check.

Phone? Check.

As we hurry out the door, most of us don’t give much thought to our phones. They’re just another part of our EDC (every day carry). But, the crazy thing is, what most of us are carrying around in our pockets and purses is a small, sleek supercomputer.

Technically, they’re called smartphones. But they are so much more than handy devices we can pick up and make calls on. They’re a gateway to new and unimaginable worlds: 

A hub for worldwide connectivity

A source for boundless entertainment

A doorway into the mesmerizing universe of unending…  

INFORMATION.

We live in what’s been called the Information Age. With the rise of the internet and social media, we’ve been exposed to more information than we could ever need and some we would never want. We have at our fingertips unfettered access to mind-numbing amounts of raw and undistilled information. It’s scrupulously gathered, curated, and then poured out into our lives like a typhoon-sized tidal wave. 

Yet, information itself isn’t bad. In fact, much of it is good. We have apps that tell us precisely how to safely and efficiently arrive at our desired destination. We can quickly look up plant species to see if that bed of leaves we traipsed through on vacation is poison ivy or not. 

However, too much information can be detrimental to us. It can overwhelm us, bring on a paralysis of analysis, sap our ability to focus and function. Like anything good, it can also turn bad quite suddenly. 

Consider Peter’s warning, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour”. 

How will he do this?

One way is by using the availability and abundance of information. He’ll use it to distract us, make us anxious and overload us with so much information that we break under its pressure. The enemy would love for us to get lost in data, bogged down in managerial instruction, and tossed to and fro on the waves of pop-up news feeds.

We must be alert when it comes to our information intake. Pausing regularly to evaluate the information we’re allowing into our lives is paramount. Learning to sift information to let in only what is good and helpful will keep us from being overwhelmed and help us grow in knowledge and wisdom. 

White Space Moment

Reflect on and make a list of all the places information comes to you from (i.e., social media, news feeds, emails, etc.). Prayerfully prioritize that list. Then, ask:

• What information is helpful?
• What information is distracting, overwhelming?
• What information can I cut out?