When Jesus is confronted by the scribes and asked which commandment is the most important of all, He replies, “The most important is, ‘Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength'” (Mark 12:29-30).
Have you ever considered that little phrase, with all your mind? Allow me to do a very short, rough, word study here on two key words, “love” and “mind”. The word “love” in this passage is the Greek word “agapaō” which means, when in reference to persons, “to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly” (Strongs G25), or “when used of love to a master, God or Christ, the word involves the idea of affectionate reverence, prompt obedience, grateful recognition of benefits received” (Thayer’s). The word here for “mind” is the Greek word “dianoia”, which means “deep thought, properly, the faculty (mind or its disposition), by implication, its exercise: imagination, mind, understanding” (Strongs G1271). Jesus, here, is calling us to love God with our minds–to have affection towards, obedience to, and recognition of God by using the faculties of deep thought and understanding.
Loving God with our minds may not be a common sermon topic; how often are we directed to love God with our hearts, souls, and bodies? But thinking? Not as often. At least, not explicitly. But thinking is important. In fact, Jesus’ order puts thinking before strength, which makes sense; what you think dictates your behaviour. Jesus articulates a high priority on thinking: through it, one loves Jehovah; it is a kind of virtue for the Christian.
So let’s consider loving God with our minds. The biggest way to love God with our minds is to think critically. To think critically is difficult, because it requires looking at an idea from multiple perspectives, asking lots of questions, and all this takes time. It isn’t easy to think critically. This is probably why many of us don’t do much good thinking. I think the other reason we don’t think critically is because we don’t know how. So, let me give you two strategies to help with this.
Get Reading
Go figure, the English teacher would tell you reading is the answer. I know, I know… But reading, in particular, is a wonderful gift that God has given us because it exercises our mind. I suggest reading rather than just listening or watching to intelligent stuff because reading has a way of focusing our mind. When we listen, our minds can wander as we listen because of what we’re hearing (and not hearing). Reading forces our bodies and minds to be connected and focused on a single idea. Wandering is a lot harder when reading. …And in a world of too much information and high anxiety, reading is one way to calm the mind.
Reading is also a wonderful gift because it allows us to exercise our thinking by following along in someone else’s mind tracks. Reading is like following a much fitter person through their work out. Just by simply doing what they’re doing, you get their workout on your body. Like the key there is a good workout buddy, the key with reading is choosing good books. For that, I’ve got a bit of a formula.
First, read books that feed you. These are books that broaden your mind and soul. Books that bring light and clarity.
- Example of books that feed me: Fault Lines (Baucham), Reading the Bible Supernaturally (Piper)
Second, read books that fire you. These are books that challenge you. Books that you may or may not agree with, but add bulk to the stew of your mind.
- Example of books that fire me: Institutes of the Christian Religion (Calvin), Madame Bovary (Flaubert), Origin of the Species (Darwin)
Third, read books fuel you. These are books that inspire you. Books that encourage you to keep going when life gets a bit rocky.
- Example of books that fuel me: Watchfulness (Hedges), Pilgrim’s Progress (Bunyan), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Rowling)
Get Questioning
The second strategy to critical thinking hinges on asking questions. The power of a question is two-fold. First, it can provide an unburdened method to gain information without attaching your own ideas or preconceptions or biases to it. The second is that a question can be very disarming in a conversation. Can is a key word in both these powers.
I have found that the number one kind of question that helps with critical thinking are questions of clarity. These can take different forms, but here are a few examples:
- What does this word/idea/concept mean?
- What assumptions are made here?
- What worldview/perspective is this coming from?
- Where has the author placed their hope/answer/solution?
Don’t Leave Your Mind At Home
We live in an age where good thinking is quickly becoming a rare commodity. A quick look at the way the average Canadian handles the health restrictions Canada is currently under exposes our collective lack-of-thinking. The problem is that how we handle health mandates is only the tip of the iceberg. We must learn to be critical of what we’re hearing and seeing. If we’re going to survive and thrive in our current and upcoming global climate, we must not leave our minds at home. They must come with us to church, to family gatherings, to the beach, to work, to our and to our devotional time with God. We must love God by using our minds well.
More Resources
Much smarter, more articulate, and thoughtful people have spoken and written about this. Here are some organizations, articles, and books that you may find helpful as you consider loving God with your thinking.
- Ezra Institute
- Apologetics Canada
- “Loving God with Our Minds” R.C. Sproul
- “What Does It Mean to Love the Lord With All Your Mind? John Piper
- Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God John Piper
- Lit! A Christian Guide to Reading Books Tony Reinke
- How to Read a Book Mortimer Adler
What you’ll find here is a collection of musings, thoughts, writings, and ramblings about things I’m reading, watching, and thinking about. It’s my goal to inspire, encourage, and instruct my fellow sisters in their walk with Jesus and their understanding of the Word.
- Erika Recommends: Best Books of 2021 - December 15, 2021
- Slow-Going in the Fast Lane - October 14, 2021
- A Taste You Can Feel In Your Cheeks - September 29, 2021
