Wisdom Keeps Our Thinking Clear
A minister was using a flashlight as a visual aid to teach the children’s sermon one morning during church. He had filled the flashlight with little pieces of useless junk and of course the light would not turn on. As he took the junk out and inserted two batteries, he came to the climax of his story and declared “When we take the junk out of our lives and put Jesus in, then we become the Light of the World.” And with a grand flourish he flipped the button on the flashlight expecting it to come on. To his great shock, the light did not come on. No one knew quite what to say. Finally, a small child in the group offered this advice to the minister, “For the flashlight to work, you have to screw the head on straight!” The minister realized that he had screwed the top of the flashlight on crooked and once he straightened it, the light came on.
This story reminds us that being a person of faith is not an excuse for not thinking clearly. Having faith is very important, but we have to have our heads screwed on straight for our faith to work. Faith is not supposed to be blind belief in some vague ideology. Faith is built on a framework of who God is, what He has done, and what He wants to do in our lives.
As a matter of fact, God expects us to think deeply about our faith. James 1:5-6 “Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith without doubting.” These verses remind us that part of our faith should include asking God to give us wisdom in how we handle the things that happen in our lives. That wisdom will involve using our mind and having faith that God can and will give us the thoughtful wisdom we need to make good decisions necessary for a productive life.
People who want to have a deep faith must be willing to also think deeply. Thinking deeply about life, contemplating its meaning, and seeking purpose in our actions makes anyone’s faith stronger and more vibrant. So let’s get our heads screwed on straight. Because deep faith and deep thinking are supposed to go together. And when they don’t, our light seldom comes on.
If you are looking to grow in wisdom and loving God with your mind, check out these resources:
-Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God by John Piper
-Knowing Faith Podcast, hosted by Jen Wilkin, JT English, and Kyle Worley
-The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism by Tim Keller
Dr. Terry W. Dorsett serves as the executive director of the Baptist Churches of New England.
