How to Be a Thinking Christian, Part 1

Too Many Christians are not Thinking Christians

In Matthew 22:37, Jesus commands us to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” In effect, this is a command to be a thinking Christian. This post begins a series on being a thinking Christian. The focus of this essay is on how many Christians fail to love God with their minds. And, regarding their faith, they are wasting their minds.

Following my post about the meaning of “Faith seeking understanding” and its relationship to loving God with all your mind, it was my intent for the next post on the topic to provide practical suggestions.

However, as I continued to work on this idea, I saw more needs to be addressed before going on to practical matters. For example, I came across this quote from C. S. Lewis,

God has room for people with very little sense. But he wants everyone to use whatever sense they have. The proper motto is not, ‘Be good, sweet maid, and let who can be clever,’ but, ‘Be good, sweet maid, and don’t forget that this involves being as clever as you can.’ God is no fonder of intellectual slackers than of any other slackers.

Evidence Christians are Wasting Their Minds

Before retiring from my career with a faith-based company, I conducted dozens of interviews every year with prospective employees. About three-quarters held college degrees and, those who didn’t, usually had substantial experience in the business world. Most of the people I interviewed were members of a Christian church.

I always asked the candidate, “What was the last book you read?” The answers told me much about the person. About one-third of the respondents said they didn’t read books. Eighty to 90 percent of the others named a popular novel, how-to book, or self-help volume. Most didn’t name a book that would be great literature or intellectually challenging. Few admitted to reading books related to their Christian faith.

Are my interviewees unusual? I think not.

A quick look at the current New York Times hardcover nonfiction best-seller list is revealing.

Number one on the list is The 1619 Project, a blatantly false version of American history, deservedly bashed by qualified scholars.

All American Christmas, a collection of holiday stories, holds second place.

Third, Will, the autobiography of Will Smith.

Coming in fourth, Betrayal, a biased reporter’s account of the last days of Trump’s presidency.

Fifth place goes to The Lyrics: 1956 To the Present, music and more by Paul McCartney.

So far, nothing of much substance appears on the list. There is hope, though. Brian Kilmeade’s historical account, The President and the Freedom Fighter, ranks eight, followed by The Dawn of Everything, a somewhat questionable account of social history but at least a book that demands mental engagement.

But then comes Welcome to Dunder Mifflin, a history of the TV show “The Office” rounds out the top ten. Now this must be a brainteaser!

What About Christian Reading Habits?

To be a thinking Christian, you need to be a reader. Can we claim better reading habits than our secular counterparts? A visit to a local Christian bookstore tells the story. Compare the amount of floor space allotted to theological volumes compared with popular Christian books. Or compare rankings of Christian books on Amazon between fluff, feel-good authors like Joel Osteen, and intellectually demanding books. The sad truth is many believers, if they read at all, read to satisfy their “itching ears” (cf. 2 Timothy 4:3-4)

A check of the top Christian best-sellers reveals a list populated with self-help, how-to, motivational, and inspirational books along with a significant number of questionable teachers like Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer, and T. D. Jakes. Only a handful of the books listed might require the full engagement of the reader’s mental faculties. Few of these books will help you be a thinking Christian.

How About Your Reading Habits?

Now, consider your own reading habits.

What was the last book you read? Can you summarize it in just a few sentences? Would it fit into a category like those we found on the New York Times list? Or the Christian bestsellers list? When was a last time that you read a book that challenged you to think hard? Or read a book that helped you better understand the Christian faith you profess?

Unfortunately, our reading habits reveal our intellectual laziness. But maybe as Christians we make up for this by our study of the Bible.

With that in mind, consider these statistics about Christians and the Bible:

• Only 32% read the Bible daily.
• 12% rarely or never read the Bible.
• 20% have read the entire Bible at least once.
• Over 50% have read little or none of the Bible.

It’s no wonder that many Christians hold these mistaken beliefs:

• Over 25% of Christians do not believe the Bible is inspired by God but written by men.
• Only 36% of regular church attenders believe Jesus is the only way to eternal life with God.
• 57% of American Christians believe other religions also lead to eternal life.

Compare that to how much time we watch television or attend our children’s sporting events. Also, keep in mind that we are talking about simply reading the Bible, not an engaging in serious study. Nor do our typical small-group studies fare much better. We have all experienced how quickly these groups get around to asking their favorite question, “What does this passage mean to me?” Commenting on this, scholar J. P. Moreland writes:

We allow one another to get away with applying an understanding of a passage that is based on vague feelings or first impressions and not on the hard work of reading commentaries and using study tools such as concordances, Bible dictionaries, and the like. Why? Because a careful exercise of reason is not important in understanding what the Bible says for many of us. Besides, it takes work! (J. P. Moreland, Love God With All Your Mind, (1997) 26.)

What do these examples say to us about our obedience to Christ? If we are to take his word seriously, what are we to do with this command: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment” (Matt. 22:37-38)? What do they say about being a thinking Christian?

Clearly, Jesus is telling us that a full commitment to him requires the total engagement of our intellectual capacities. To be blunt, failing to use our minds to engage the Christian faith is sin. It is direct disobedience to what Jesus referred to as the great and first commandment. Failing to be a thinking Christian is wasting a Christian mind.

Consequences

When the church, and that includes all the Christians, not just those called to a life of scholarly endeavor, does not engage in the intellectual realm, serious consequences follow.

We see this in much of the evangelical church today, where addressing felt needs replaces the gospel. As a result, we can’t reach people who are out of touch with their feelings, or don’t think the church can address their needs. But if we look at the apostle Paul and his ministry as portrayed in Acts chapters 17 through 20, we see him proclaiming a gospel that is based on a reasonable faith.

Another result of the failure of Christians to engage in serious thinking is that we are losing our ability to be salt and light to the world. Unless we clearly understand Christian doctrine, how are we to engage in serious discussions about our faith with those who do not believe? How will we answer the challenges to our faith that arise every day in our workplaces and schools? Something that is becoming more common every day.

One of the more serious consequences of a Christian unwillingness to engage in serious thinking is that it becomes easier for us as individuals, and sometimes for entire church bodies, to be swept up into the world’s way of thinking. Without the intellectual wherewithal to challenge what bad teaching in the public schools and broadcast over the airwaves, Christians unwittingly think like the popular culture.

For example, a large, mainline, Lutheran synod takes the position that abortion is sometimes wrong and sometimes permissible (in all circumstances regardless of threat to the mother’s life). This is a bald-faced statement of moral relativism, the same moral relativism that pervades our society and is contrary to the ethical standards of traditional Christianity. I contend that any Christian body can fall into the same trap unless its members will do what it takes to be a thinking Christian.

Wrapping Up

God wants his children to use their minds to love and know Him. Not everyone has the same intellectual ability. But all have a mind that can love God. Whatever limitation you think you have, don’t allow it to keep you from being a thinking Christian.

Excursus: A Personal Example

When my oldest daughter, Tammy, was almost ten, her vision suddenly became blurry. Diagnosed with a brain tumor, she underwent surgery, and radiation therapy. Many years later, she began suffering from epileptic seizures.

Tammy graduated from high school and held a few jobs. But as she got older, the combined effects of her maladies have affected her memory and reasoning abilities.

Tammy no longer has the sharp mind she displayed before the tumor. It will continue to be difficult for her to grasp complex ideas. But she has a mind, a thinking Christian mind.

Tammy attends the adult Bible study at our church on Sunday mornings. With her mom, she reads the Bible and does a daily devotional. She listens to books, TV shows and the news. And she asks questions and wants to learn.

Tammy is using the mind God has given her to the fullest capacity. She is loving God with all her mind.

Next in the series: What Does it Mean to be a Thinking Christian?