"The Paradox of Choice: How Overchoice Affects Our Relationship with God"
- Michelle Stavens
- Jan 15, 2023
- 2 min read
Updated: Jan 31, 2023
Overchoice refers to the phenomenon of having too many options to choose from, which can lead to feelings of indecision, anxiety, and dissatisfaction. In today's world, we are constantly presented with a vast array of choices, from what to eat, wear, and do, to where to live, work, and worship. This can make it difficult to make decisions and can lead to feelings of doubt, confusion, and a lack of certainty in your relationship with God.
Overchoice can make it hard to focus on what's truly important. With so many options and distractions, it can be easy to get caught up in the noise and lose sight of your faith. This can make it hard to feel connected to God and can lead to feelings of spiritual emptiness.
One way to overcome the effects of overchoice on your relationship with God is to simplify your life. This can include decluttering your physical space, simplifying your schedule, and focusing on the things that are truly important to you. Getting caught up in the endless possibilities of the future can also clutter your focus. Keeping a notepad by you during prayer can give you a place to jot down those webs of thoughts that distract you from your time with God.
Another way to overcome this is to be more intentional in your relationship with God. Our Catholic faith gives us a vast selection of intentional prayers. Litany of hours, novenas and rosaries are just to name a few. Adoration, Mass, prayer, reading the bible, confession will help you connect with God but finding what works best for you is key.
Overchoice won’t go away but neither will God. It is important to remember that faith is a journey, and you will not have all the answers right away. Trust in God's plan for your life and take comfort in the knowledge that He is always with you, even when you don't understand what's happening.
God is not limited by the endless choices of the world. Trust in Him and His plan for your life and let Him guide you through the overwhelming sea of options.
Thanks for this important reminder, Michelle. Anxiety is so oftentimes the result for me with all the choices there are to make in this life. One of my favorite quotes, and I've never found out who said it, is:
"God gives the best to those who leave the choice to Him."
All I can say to that is Amen.
This was great affirmation- we’ve really been trying to simplify our lives. This makes so much sense ❤️
You don't know how much I needed to hear this, Michelle. God bless this new journey you are on, and thank you for the invitation to walk this path with you and others.
This is a solid topic-- I feel burdened by "overchoice" often and find it really annoying. I also never hear anyone discuss it, but in every aspect of life the abundance of choices forces me to make an abundance of decisions. Exhausting. Your words are reminding me that God has to come first, and He will sort through options for or with me. Thank you.