The Risks of Overthinking
Proverbs 3:5,6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (ESV)
With the glut of information (and indeed, misinformation) bombarding us these days, there’s never been a time where rational thinking has been more important. But there’s also a risk of overthinking things.
The way I’ve been wired, I am a very rational thinker. Logic is my friend. And we talked about that yesterday – this need to weigh facts and discern truth in this age of misinformation, and deliberately constructed disinformation – collectively known by the colloquial term “fake news”.
But as smart as we may think we are, you and I don’t have the capacity to sort it all out. I have a news app on my mobile devices that aggregates news from respected and reliable sources right around the globe. But after the fifteen or twenty minutes I spend each day “getting the news”, I’m often left breathless at the complexity of all that’s going on in the world.
And the same is true at a personal level. Sometimes the facts overwhelm us. We’d like to think our way out of the situation we’re in, but we just don’t seem capable of doing so.
So, what’s the answer? Well, let’s get back to basics.
Proverbs 3:5,6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (ESV)
In other words, stop trying to overthink things – because when figuring it all out is beyond you, it’s a complete waste of time. Worse than that, your inability to think your way through can be downright depressing.
Instead, trust in the Lord with all your heart. In all your ways acknowledge Him, honour Him, obey Him, worship Him and He will straighten things out.
When life is confusing, get back to basics.
That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
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