The Novelty Detox for Lent: Letting Go of Novelty and Being Present in the EverydayNäide

Day One: Where Is Your Desire for Novelty Coming From?

What my friends love about me is my continual pursuit of adventure. They admire how much time I spend on the road, traveling to faraway places—Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Egypt, the USA, St. Martin, among others—and they often confess their desire to do the same.

However, to my friends, and to you, I have a confession: I have always loved novelty. I love new things, shiny things, new people, experiences, and places. I am rarely linear, dangerously curious at times, and desperately passionate about life.

I know it’s my strength, but I also know it’s my weakness. Often, the best things about us are both what we love and what we wish we could change about ourselves. I have come to realize that my pursuit of novelty in the past has been driven by a desire to feel deeply and intimately.

The quote by Robert Sapolsky now makes sense: “An open mind is a prerequisite for an open heart.” It’s true. In order to care for or love others, to try new experiences, or to grow in any particular area, one must be willing to entertain new ideas and possibilities.

But what if opening your mind goes too far?

What if the desire for continual new experiences leaves your heart vulnerable or unguarded?

What if it makes your heart susceptible to accepting anything and everything? What if it makes you ungrateful in your marriage or gives you a wandering eye for someone else’s possessions?

Sometimes, novelty can be a dangerous path. Scripture reminds us that our hearts cannot be an open door to everything.

Exploration is not wrong, but we must choose what we are exploring.

As a point of confession, I realized that my love for traveling and discovering new things was, in part, because it made me feel free. As a young girl, I felt like I wasn’t allowed to go out as much as I wanted to—museums, parks, and holidays with friends weren’t really a part of my early teenage years. The reward for seeking novelty and new places was proving to myself that I am still free—that no one could stop me. Not my parents, not a slow-moving holiday group chat, not even my partner.

It became a sign of my independence, my commitment to myself, and my desire to learn.

But it was also a response to the little girl in me who felt caged.

In the past, traveling became, at times, a quiet form of inward rebellion. New engagements, events, and experiences often soothed a deeper insecurity—a subtle fear of not being enough. While traveling alone has been a source of growth, boosting my self-esteem and broadening my understanding of different cultures, it also made me crave more. It sometimes shifted my focus away from the steady blessings in my life—family, friends, and the simple beauty of home.

It minimized the value of what I have consistently: my family, friends, our house, our car, and our neighbors, among many other things. Our responsibility is to love our brothers and sisters, not to obsess over novel things. Addiction to novelty can lead us to sacrifice what is most important.

No life where novelty is the ultimate goal is fulfilling. It is an addiction and can be associated with other conditions—PTSD, anxiety, depression—that need to be treated at the root.

I realized that I was feeding a monster inside me—a monster that desired to be loved, seen, understood, and free.

There is no such thing as novelty for God.

Nothing in the entirety of human existence is new under the blazing sun.

We all want to be wanted, to be seen, and, truth be told, who doesn’t appreciate beautiful things? (I know the Lord does—He creates beautiful and novel things!) But we must redeem our traumas, desires, and longings at the foot of the cross—for the sake of our future, our salvation, our sanctification, and our lifelong fulfillment and purpose.

Now, I travel with a new sense of purpose. Novelty is no longer the goal; meaningful connection and my relationship with God are. Knowing that I can sometimes fall into the novelty trap, I now prepare myself, seek God’s face, and ensure I am pursuing things for the right reasons. I would love to help you on your journey to ditch novelty and pursue true meaning in everyday life.

Ask Yourself These Five Important Questions:

1. Is what I am seeking (through novelty) wholly good for me?

2. What is the root of my novelty-seeking?

3. What is currently missing in my life?

4. Where am I lacking self-control?

5. Will you join me in swapping novelty for the beauty of everyday life?

Read through the verses, reflect on what I have shared and I look forward to connecting with you tomorrow.