RESEARCH IN THIS INFORMATION AGE
RESEARCH IN THIS INFORMATION AGE
Clean living is here to stay, but should we listen to every voice that’s out there? Do we get paralyzed by fear; trapped into a conversation about the latest ___ (fill in the blank); not know who is right or who is too far out there?
In the last 10+ years, new information, innovations, products, myths debunked and more have been splashed on the internet, social media and even picked up by newspapers and the nightly news. How does one handle all this information when sometimes there are blatant contradictions? Who do we trust?
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Trusting in the LORD is the best option and one that will yield peace, sound wisdom and what is needed for your personal situation. Trusting is a muscle that requires constant practice, but we can rest assured that God will indeed lead us. Even in regards to our health – especially so, because we are His temple. He desires that we trust Him in all areas of our lives, including our health.
With information available at our fingertips from all corners, it is easy to get sucked into no-man’s land quite quickly. One has to pray constantly for guidance to decipher what is truth and what is a scare tactic.
When we hear of the latest ‘research’, how do we know it’s sound? A few options to check for accuracy are to find your trusted researchers for their findings (this could be research results from reputable agencies, universities, third-party companies), doing your own research as well as looking at U. S. Federal Drug Administration guidelines, cancer societies, Mayo Clinic, etc..
Controversaries do abound as well as whether we stick to this soil or go across the pond. What about Canadian research? Or European? Depending on the subject at hand, research can be cutting edge or more dated. Things spouted as good for you in the 1880’s have shown to not, in fact, been good for you. Think the liver elixirs, magic medicines and the like. And, with more advanced technologies and medical science, even research from 5 years ago could be considered dated.
Some of us are more content to let others do the thinking, research and pinpoint options for us. There is nothing wrong with this. Research takes time and a little bit of know-how, but finding the best solutions are paramount. Do we trust the tabloids for information, afternoon TV talk shows, social media? Or do we turn to individuals who spend their lives working in their field of study and read what they have found and apply it to our situation?
On any given topic there are as many opinions to go with it. Let’s take a benign subject – camping. One can hop in the car and head to the mountains without any prior research. It is possible to show up with the shirt on your back and a water bottle and some snacks. It won’t make for a great trip, but it is possible. Or, one could go to REI, head to the camping section and load up on all the latest and greatest. You’ll look good, have sort-of great tasting freeze dried dinners and an empty wallet. Asking a friend who camps multiple times a year, enjoys those trips, has pictures to prove those trips and has a level head, could improve the camping trip. Or, a hybrid of these.
Our family went camping one summer to a church family camp. I had not grown up camping, so this was a new experience for me. My husband was a novice too, so we were guinea pigs. We borrowed a tent trailer and packed it to the nines. Having a 7-month old son didn’t deter us – it should have, but we forged ahead. Let’s just say, we should have gone to Cabelas, done more research and packed accordingly. No one slept at night as it was too cold. Good thing we shared food with all the campers or that might have been disastrous. In packing toiletries, who knew that bathing a baby in the woods could be so cumbersome?
Years later, and many more camping trips under our belts, we cherish our times in the open – and have even backpacked, hiked, traveled 6 weeks with a trailer across the United States, twice. We learned what worked and didn’t. We looked at many trusted, knowledgeable stores, websites, books, KOA manuals, AAA guides, and more. We asked friends who have camped. We observed others while on trips – what types of chairs they had, what types of foods they were cooking (on one trip when our children were quite young, we went dry tent camping. The people we were with were quite elaborate with rugs on the dirt to walk on in the kitchen area, capers for our meals and many gadgets to provide comfort.), and whether or not it would suit our family. After the original shake down trip, one does know rather quickly what works and doesn’t.
This can be the same with research of all types for any given subject. One asks around, talks to experts in the field, professionals. One goes to the best. Then, after gathering the information, begins to weed out the fluff and applies what is needed for the given situation. There is also an element of always learning. Every time we go camping, we evaluate our stuff, remember a new thing we read or heard, pack accordingly and head up the mountain ready for an adventure.
God is with us in life. He leads and guides us and He wants us to ask Him for this guidance – even in the seemingly insignificant stuff. Do we get blown and tossed by the latest fad, or do we do our own research or go to our trusted sources for increasing our knowledge, then make decisions accordingly? This route may take time, but in the long run, it usually is the better route as we become familiar with the subject matter and can talk a little more knowledgeably which in turn yields a better ability to research even deeper, thereby coming to a decision that much easier.
