Thinking Christianly in a Postmodern World: VIII

Part VIII: Thinking that is Christian and Critical

Have you ever just thought about thinking? What does it mean to think, or better yet, to think in the right way? This is the last part of my series on thinking that is Christian. If I communicate only one thing in this series let it be this: right or true thinking is Christian in nature. Why? I have found that the only reality that I know is Jesus Christ.

In Colossians 3:2 Paul commands us, "set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth." Matthew Henry, in his commentary, reminds us that earthly things are set in direct opposition to things above for a reason. Heaven and earth are contrary to one another, and we must understand that prevalence of our perfection of one will proportionally weaken our affection for the other. Paul goes on in verse 3 and 4 to give us three main reasons for this.

1. We are dead to present things! As Christians we are suppose to be dying to this world and living for Christ, therefore it seems absurd to set our minds on that which is dying.
2. Our new life is rooted above; we are only sojourners in this world. Paul implies that it is hidden in Christ, and the implication is that it is secure. We should focus on that which is secure and not on that which is temporal.
3. Jesus Christ is our life; He is the principle and the end. We will appear with Him in glory, and Jesus is where we should direct our thoughts.

A mind focused on above begins to secure thinking that is Christian and begins the rescue of thoughts. We rescue our thoughts daily through spiritual maturity in language and deed. Language is important, as it reveals the heart and who we really are. Therefore, in order to think Christianly in our language we should:

a. be marked by thoughtful speech
b. choose our words carefully and say what we mean in love
c. ensure that our words and speech reveal our heart
d. be God's spokesman in our language via our thoughts and then our words

But, we can not forget one very important element to our thinking...Christian love! Our thinking must begin and end with love. John 13:34 commands us to love one another for Christ has commanded us to be known by this mark. We were created out of love, for love and to love. Why do I speak here of love...because we are warned that pride puffs up. I know this only to well. I often confront others, resting on the "say-what-we-mean" excuse while leaving love out. I know of no verse that begins with "confront," but I know of many that begin with "love."

Any time we focus on the mind, pride is sure to follow, therefore there are some concerns of which we must be aware.

1. We must not confuse knowledge with trust and we can not forget that faith can not be divorced from understanding. Understanding shapes faith somewhat; the more we understand the better we know...scripture...doctrine...His word...God! But, understanding does not replace faith.
2. Learning, knowing and thinking ...having opinions are all unavoidable human activities. We must do all that we can to put Christ first in these as well. We think with little accountability because it all takes place inside with no one able to see; this makes us very vulnerable. We conveniently forget that Christ is always watching, even our thoughts. We have views and opinions; they all ought to be educated and rooted in a Christian worldview.

Thinking Christianly in a postmodern world is about several things.

1. We have learned that we must have a Christian worldview that guides our thinking. Everyone has a worldview; we must not be ashamed that ours is in Christ.
2. We must think critically, or else we will be at the mercy of those thoughts that we merely repeat.
3. Christians are called to think in higher categories. We can not be lazy or proud in our thinking for then we will be vulnerable to our thinking being lead astray.
4. We must be humble in our thinking and always checking our thoughts with scripture.
5. And...we must love, even in our thinking!

For the Christian, there is no other option than to think Christianly. I hope you have enjoyed this series. You may not agree with all that has been written, but hopefully it has made you think about your thinking! Blessings to all!