Micah 6:8 (NKJV) He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?
One of the greatest dangers facing America is its “dumbing down”. More and more people have been and are being raised up to merely parrot what they are told. Memorization and regurgitation have replaced deductive reasoning, analytical processing, development of ideas, drawing one’s own conclusions… free thought. An increasing number of people do not know how, or care to test the ideas they are fed.
Of the people I know, the ones I consider of high, greater than average intelligence, are free thinkers. They possess deductive abilities. They don’t simply know “facts”, but can develop their own philosophies, problem solve, and are capable of a creative perspective many others lack.
This is particularly important within the body of Christ. As individual believers, growth is found in our development. As we draw closer to the Lord and the power of the Holy Spirit within us amplifies, progress of purpose increases.
One very important variable in the equation of growth, maturation and our ability to process and reason is reading. Yes… reading. Reading is common to virtually every deep thinker I have known. Reading stimulates creative thought in ways that nothing else can. In reading, you get exact expressions. You gain insights into the thought process, the psyche of the author. Reading leads to well informed people. Reading stimulates thought, analysis, reasoning, questioning. It leads to writing. If reading creates an informed person, writing makes an exact person.
We are tested each and every day. Thoughts and ideologies are tossed at us from each and every direction, some good, some not. How are we to navigate our way through this barrage if we lack the ability to think and reason for ourselves. Culture today would have us operate autonomously, ruled by emotion. If you feel it, it must be right. People capable of independent minds can reason their way through the reconciliation of the mind and heart. However, to do that you must be well informed.
You must learn to read well. You must learn to choose your authors well. As one who believes in Jesus or as one still seeking, this must include scripture. You must desire to read, study and internalize the Word. It cannot stop there, though. You must pursue extra-scriptural text, reading what trusted theologians have to say about the bible. You must also seek out text on a myriad of other subjects such as history, philosophy, science and the arts.
In order to be able to test that which is being presented to us, we must seek to cultivate knowledge. Otherwise, how will we possibly discern what is right, what is truth, when the time comes. Have a blessed weekend.
II Timothy 4:3-5 (NKJV) For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
In full pursuit of the greatest Trophy,
Scott Pace
