The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less
One of my vacation reads early this month was The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less by Barry Schwartz. The book talks about the challenges created by choice overload in our lives. It’s counter-intuitive, but Schwartz makes the case that eliminating choices can greatly reduce stress, anxiety and busyness in our lives. Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the book:
- “I believe that we make the most of our freedoms by learning to make good choices about the things that matter, while at the same time unburdening ourselves from too much concern about the things that don’t.”
- “Even when people join communities of faith and expect to participate in the life of those communities and embrace (at least some of) the practices of those communities, they simultaneously expect the communities to be responsive to their needs, their tastes, and their desires.”
- “As the number of options increases, the effort required to make a good decision escalates as well.”
- “The average American sees three thousand ads a day.”
- “But if unrestricted freedom can impede the individual’s pursuit of what he or she values most, then it may be that some restrictions make everyone better off. And if ‘constraint’ sometimes affords a kind of liberation while ‘freedom’ affords a kind of enslavement, then people would be wise to seek out some measure of appropriate constraint.”
- “The larger display of samples attracted more shoppers, but these individuals did not sample more different jams. Remarkably, shoppers who saw the larger display were less likely actually to buy jam than those who saw the smaller display. Much less likely.”
- “We should learn to view limits on the possibilities we face as liberating not constraining.”
Though this book wasn’t written specifically for church leaders, a number of these principles apply. First, Schwartz makes a fairly strong case for the benefits of developing disciplines and establishing healthy boundaries in our lives which, of course, is one positive outcome of an obedience to God’s Word.
Secondly, I think churches really need to come to grasps with the point that more is less. More ministry programming, as an example, could very well lead to less people in ministry. More announcements may mean less is actually heard. I think Schwartz would argue that churches could actually benefit from considering what they might stop doing in order to help more people connect in relationships and in serving opportunities.
From your ministry experiences, would you agree? Do you think less is more or are you still of the opinion that more is more?
Good thoughts Tony..we stopped doing a number of things..one of the biggest was our midweek service..it’s added energy and life back to staff, volunteers and actually energized our weekend services. I think a a couple good questions to ask are; “Is there anything that you are doing now that you have to manufacture energy for in order to do?” and “As a staff team what activities/events/programs do you wish you could skip?” great book recommendation…
On a personal level, I recently made the decision to back off church ministry (I am not on staff). I had been involved in teaching and small group leadership and some of church communications/publicity/marketing stuff, so much so that I was seen by some as an assistant pastor.
But it hit me that ministry itself had become perhaps an idol in my life. One day while praying it was like the Lord put a phrase in my head — “Less ministry. More Master.”
So I’ve simplified my church life and am devoting myself more to my personal walk, my personal development (school, music) and especially to my family. I feel much more content and focused now.
Since I made that decision, I’ve felt the tug inwardly and outwardly from others — including pastors — to take back up the reins of some things, but I’ve resolved that the Lord is just going to have raise up more laborers, some of whom I perhaps prevented from getting involved before because I was unhappily taking up space in front of them.
Excellent thoughts. I couldn’t agree more. I’ve seen this up close and personal in two large churches in which I’ve served. IMO, one of the responsibilities of leadership is to help people make wise choices (not always easy and, of course, you can’t force people into anything); giving them a constant smorgasbord of options and/or allowing them to create every kind of niche option they can think of is simply not sustainable and fruitful over the long haul. Less is more.
Having attended quite a few different churches, I can honestly say..listen to what God wants for your church. Where has God planted you? What are the needs of the community? Are you equiped to meet those needs? What desires has God planted in your heart? Who has He brought along side you in ministry? What are their desires? Gifts? Talents?? I KNOW that if a church family prays continually for their leaders, and the leaders pray for wisdom, discernment & guidance, God will lead them, so the questions of ‘less is more & more is less’ is not relevant if you are listnening to the direction of the Holy Spirit. Each church body has different callings………..Put God FIRST & all else will fall into place.