One of the fastest ways to discourage children from learning is to give them too much information in too short a time span. It’s called “information overload.” This occurs so easily when using a search engine on the Internet. We type in a key word about our topic and in less than a second we can have pages and pages of reference sites.
However it seems that overloading is not something new but has been around for thousands of years. In Luke 11:46 Jesus replied, “And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.”
We still do this. Often we discourage people by cluttering the way to salvation with a long list of changes they need to make before they can be saved. We give them a list of foods they can no longer eat. We give them a list of entertainments they should no longer enjoy. On and on we go. This definitely falls into the category of overload. Especially when Jesus said in Matthew 11:30, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
I am not saying some changes should not happen. If one is to enjoy the abundant life certain changes do need to occur. However it is the order that is important. Salvation comes first and changes afterwards because the Holy Spirit moves in and remodels. The changes are made because we are saved and not to be saved. The order makes all the difference.
Written by Roger Bothwell on August 10, 2006
rogerbothwell.org