LOVING GOD WITH OUR MINDS

Written by Maria Fontaine 5/12

Jesus said that we are to love God “with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind.”1 Notice that He didn’t just refer to our heart and soul, but also to our mind. God gave human beings mental faculties. He created us to be intellectual beings, capable of rational thought, intellectual growth, critical thinking, and reasoning. He also gave us a conscience to guide us in making choices that are morally right.

The apostle Paul said, “One person considers some days to be more sacred than others, while another person considers all days to be the same. Each person must have their own convictions.”2 Paul also said in that same discourse, “If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.”3 The point he was making is that it’s important we each explore our beliefs to determine where our faith lies on various issues. Analyzing, discussing, and debating points of doctrine can be healthy for your faith, as those all require you to research, dig deep, and find the scriptural foundation for your beliefs.

Using our mental faculties and critical, rational thinking is not meant to undermine our faith, of course, but it can. Some people do reason themselves out of their faith. But for others, critical, rational thinking serves to strengthen their faith. It depends on how the person goes about the questioning process. Paul, Saint Augustine, Martin Luther, C. S. Lewis, and many other great Christian thinkers used reasoning and logic to strengthen their and others’ faith and understanding of doctrine, as well as to help shape the faith and intellectual viewpoints of Christianity.

We can use our intellectual abilities to glorify God and to affirm our faith, just as we can use any of the other skills and talents He has given us. We can use our minds to better love God, as Jesus told us to do. We can also use our intellectual abilities to find the place He has for us in this world, to further our education and understanding of the world, and more. As is the case with all gifts from His hand, He expects us to use the mental abilities He has given us, to invest them wisely, and to allow them to benefit ourselves and others.

1. Matthew 22:37
2. Romans 14:5 CEB
3. Romans 14:23 NLT
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YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE IF YOU HAVE JESUS IN YOUR HEART AND YOUR HAND IN HIS!

If you have Jesus you always have company and love. No matter where you are you are in His hands and He'll take care of you. Jesus is the one possession you'll never have to give up, never have to leave behind, never lose. You can give Him away as much as you like but you'll always have Him. He'll always be near.

He's always there. It's not the Lord that's not always there, it's we who are not always there. We're sometimes running off somewhere else and leaving Him way behind. But He never leaves us behind unless we don't follow, it's just that simple!

"If Jesus goes with me I'll go anywhere,
'Tis Heaven to me wher'er I may be, if He is there!
I count it a privilege here my cross to bear,
If Jesus goes with me I'll go anywhere!"




Activated TFI [Video Posted - The Most Important Thing Is Faith - Akiane, child prodigy]