Daniel 12:4...many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased...

The Information Age has made it possible for "knowledge to increase" and our God-given ability to take it in efficiently is more important than ever.  With the success of the internet, search engines, and mobile devices, we are the first generation in history that is more concerned with filtering out information than gathering it in. We are thankful for the advances in medical and scientific knowledge that have alleviated suffering and provided a better way of life for millions. With advances in technology we have the knowledge of hundreds of libraries literally at our fingertips, on our laps, in our phones! Now, more than ever, the ability to filter and evaluate the information we take in is a critical skill. How do we decide which information to keep and which to ignore? God has created us with a finely-tuned system for taking in very large amounts of information, making meaning of it, and responding to it. We connect and organize the pieces of information we take in and make meaning of them in the form of a narrative or story.For example, if we see a lone person walking along a busy road, we think, "He must have run out of gas," or "He is looking for something," and then if we see a vehicle, we think, "Oh, that must belong to that man," quickly making connections into a narrative.Once we have a story, we are less likely to notice information that does not "fit" and we quickly accept information that supports our story as fact.  If I am diagnosed with cancer, suddenly I will pursue information that will help me decide what my story of having cancer is going to be - the very same information I would have filtered out before it became personal.For the most part, our story system of filtering information works well for us.

The most powerful way that we use stories to make sense of large amounts of information is when we tell the story we have constructed about ourselves to ourselves - this is sometimes called self-talk.  I call these narratives "identity-stories."  God's plan is that we find our identity in a love story, the redemptive story of Christ's love. We are "hidden in Christ," we are one with him, we are loved with an everlasting love.  In this story, we are his disciples, or "learners." The Apostle Paul makes it clear whatkind of knowledge fits with his love story in Philippians 3:8 when he says, " I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." Holding the story that we are a beloved student of Christ will help us filter out unhealthy, seductive information that tries to tell us we need more, better, faster, younger! The messages of "more, more" just don't fit with the identity-story "I am complete in Him" (Colossians 2:10). In addition, holding the story that we are a "learner" allows for the grace to fail and try again, as Paul describes in Philippians 3:12-14, "Not that I have already been made perfect... But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

Robin Moore is a licensed mental health counselor working at Meier Clinics in Bothell, Washington. Robin loves helping individuals and couples re-author their stories to include self-confidence and satisfaction. She has been married for 26 years to Bill, a senior software engineer. They have 2 sons, one married and one engaged. They are all an active part of church in the community. Watching the growth of their 2 year old grandson reminds Robin often of God's love story and the "learner" process.