The ultimate freedom we have as human beings is the power to select what we will allow or require our minds to dwell on. ~Dallas Willard
Reason. Wisdom. Critical thinking. Thoughtful analysis and open dialogue.
So, so last season.
Thinking, a quaint but unstylish activity, now shoved to the back of the closet.
Because the new styles dazzle us, as they parade down the runway.
This season’s fresh new look: Fear-driven rants. Self-righteous sentiment. Delicious self-pity. The whimsical, melodramatic wave of the crowd. Who would trade the temporary buzz for the ponderous world of the thoughtful?
Don’t confuse me with facts, it’s easier to relax with the flow. I’d rather not know what you are thinking, I’ll only get confused. It hurts to use my brain.
Ah, but your brain is being used. You’re just not holding the controls.
The Wisdom Of The Wise
Bluntly, to serve God well we must think straight; and crooked thinking, unintentional or not, always favors evil. And when the crooked thinking gets elevated into group orthodoxy, whether religious or secular, there is always, quite literally, “hell to pay.” that is, hell will take its portion, as it has repeatedly done in the horrors of world history. ~ Dallas Willard in Renovation of the Heart
Bringing Thinking Back
Read great books. Study the Bible. Take a class, learn a new skill, explore a different language. Surround yourself with smart people who will challenge and disagree with you. Admit your ignorance, be grateful you don’t have to remain that way.
Begin and end each day unfashionably unplugged from the wordy wastelands of this world. With mouth closed, ears open, eyes focused, thoughts directed upward, think about these things:
- whatever is true,
- whatever is noble,
- whatever is just,
- whatever is pure,
- whatever is lovely,
- whatever is admirable,
- whatever is excellent,
- whatever is worthy of praise,
and pray to become what you think.
What do you think about thinking?
Philippians 4:8
Photo by Melanie Hunt
