The Problem With Redundancy (And How to Counteract It)

Have you ever read a book, and noticed the same word coming up over and over and over?

At first you’re okay with it, but after a while you begin noticing “hey, they just described that person as ‘large and strong’ and now they’re saying the same thing about another person”.

As you may guess, many books that feature redundancy don’t get published. Repetitive words can be hard to spot for the writer, but all too easy for the reader to pick up on. And if they aren’t eliminated, the book will feel dull, repetitive, and flat.

The same is true in our own lives.

Redundancy isn’t just a problem in writing. Have you ever felt like your day, week, or even year was on repeat? You wake up, eat, go to school/work, come home, watch TV, go to bed, and start it all over again. Day after day, week after week.

Has this ever been you? Have you had the feeling that something was missing? Here are some thoughts on why I think that happens.

Our lives fall into redundancy when we don’t take the time to let Someone turn the ordinary into the extraordinary.

Are you feeling flat? If so, have you made sure to invite Him into your day? Prayer is the most powerful “weapon” in the universe, more powerful than any piece of technology ever fabricated. Have you taken care to use the tool that sits in your back pocket, or in the busyness of life, have you forgotten about it?

I can’t stress this to you and myself enough – we have the Creator of the universe at our fingertips. The. Creator. Of. The. Universe.

Will we utilize the power of prayer?

Is your life feeling monotonous, boring, and like it’s somehow lacking? Because maybe, just maybe, you haven’t tapped into the “hidden” tool known as prayer. God is always there. He cares about you more than anyone on this Earth ever could.

Prayer is so vital not just for us, but for those around us. There’s a level of repetition that’s okay, yes, but when we get stuck in an unending loop, we’re not only hurting ourselves, but those around us.

Have you ever tried talking to an NPC?

If you don’t know what that stands for, it means Non Player Character. An NPC is basically a video game character who is stuck performing a single action.

Did communicating with it work? I’m guessing not. Now picture yourself as an NPC (because that’s what you are if you’re stuck in repetition). Would it be easy for someone to talk to you?

When we fall into repetition, we wall ourselves off from those around us.

At creation, Adam was no more than a lifeless pile of dust. He had no personality, no nothing – he was an “NPC”. It was only when God breathed His life into Adam that he became an actual human. That breath is now available to us in the form of prayer.

But will we use it?

I’m not saying I’m an expert – not even close. I just want this to serve as a reminder to myself as much as you – prayer is always there. Yet we get so wrapped up in other things that we forget all about it.

Which is why I’m challenging you to put prayer first this coming week. To make it your go-to, instead of your phone, or whatever else you use. It was created for a reason – to allow us to talk with GOD.

Let’s not let it go to waste.