Soulfood

The Age of Overload: When More is Too Much & Still Not Enough

Laura Andrew

We are constantly flooded with more. The promise of more is optimistic. We are often disappointed when the expectations of more aren’t met. And we are overwhelmed by the demands of more.

Every thing we get makes more demands on us – cleaning, repairing, storing, guarding, maintaining. “All things are tiresome” says the Preacher (Ecclesiastes). The manifestations of this truth may look different in our age, but the problem is the same.

Everywhere and in every time we are finite creatures. All that we are and all that we need comes from God.

We are always subject to God and His commands. We are subject to futility because of our rebellion. The work we do is at danger from decay and destruction. It will not last.

Our adversary is always offering a path of rebellion that sounds pleasant, but leads to death. “Take control of your own life and you will be free from the burdens of obedience!” “Just work harder at managing your life and you will finally be happy.” “Be smarter about your finances and follow these X steps to safety and security.” All of these promises set up idols which will always disappoint.

We feel helpless, crushed, weighed down by heavy burdens. We need a yoke we are able to bear – and Christ offers us this easy time. Matthew 11:28-30 – Jesus offers rest, gives us his yoke (so we are stewards of it), and calls us to learn from him.

Jesus is a patient and accommodating teacher. We learn humility from him as we struggle.

Strugglers. Stewards. Students. Sufferers.

We struggle in our sufferings, both in overreacting to small problems and under reacting to big problems (shutting down when stressed).

As stewards, we submit our decision-making to God, remembering that our time is just as much God’s as is everything else. We have many opportunities to leave things to God, trusting that they will get done without us. We don’t need to take on everything.

As students, we learn to be okay with our insufficiency. We are God’s children, and He knows what we need and always gives us what we need from His inexhaustible wealth.

All of our struggles have a purpose, when they cause us to depend on Christ and remember Jesus’ work on our behalf.

Jesus is re-creating our broken world. There is no “more” that is powerful enough to fix what is wrong with me. Only in Christ can we find wholeness. We don’t know the details of our life in the new creation, but we are assured that our current struggles are nothing compared to the glory and beauty of the new creation.

There is always a cost to having more. There is no “more” that will put an end to our neediness.

What are we hoping to do when we slow down? 1. Stop feeling pressured to make decisions quickly. Use the time to consider things prayerfully.

2. Seek counsel from a friend.

Remember we are not self-sufficient.

Do we expect things to break down and require repairs, and budget time and energy to deal with them as they inevitably do?

Do we expect to have to deal with customer service, returns, etc, and budget time and energy to deal with these?

Do we take pleasure in doing menial work, doing it heartily as unto the Lord, not grumbling or shirking?

Are we okay with disappointing others when they place unrealistic expectations on us? Are we willing to disappoint those we are seeking our immediate attention? It is okay to say no.

We need to be okay with not being everything to everyone, even when we want to be. This can mean disappointing ourselves, and needing to be okay with that. We are finite.

Our inability to address tomorrow’s problems today means we trust God with our future and patiently wait on Him for the provide for all our needs in good time. We wait with confidence and are open to seeing needs met in ways we don’t expect, in timing that isn’t on our schedule.

Do the next right thing – even if it is the mundane thing in front of us.