I’m finding that one of my favorite things in life are the lessons—lessons entail growth and truth, and they remind me that life is an adventurous journey toward knowing and loving a most awesome God. As with any adventure, life is certainly not lacking in challenges, and it is through these challenges that we learn and grow. My high school youth pastor always used to urge us not merely to be challenged, but to be changed. I’ve come to realize that the two are linked: when we are truly challenged, we cannot help but be truly changed. This seems to be the way in which we proceed along our journey. Some of the greatest lessons take place when we are challenged in our thinking. When our thoughts and beliefs are challenged, we are forced to wrestle with the truth, and through this we grow in the knowledge of it. College has brought more challenge to my thinking than ever before, and it has been the most growth-producing experience of my life.
This last semester, I was challenged in my approach to academia—in my thinking about thinking, so to speak. I’d always held the life of the intellect in high regard, having been raised to value academic pursuit, and I took it for granted that this pursuit would pay off in the achievement of a most good and happy life. Circumstances over the past year have caused me to question this, however. I learned that the good life cannot be attained with the intellect alone, but must also rely on faith. I’ve come into contact with tons of people who don’t emphasize an intellectual pursuit of God, but who have faith, love God, and are good Christians. If genuine faith and love for God are the key traits of a “good Christian,” then why think? Why invest myself in a pursuit of understanding that appeared only to be leading me deeper into the knowledge of my own ignorance? These are the questions I was asking. The answers I’ve found have brought me into a deeper love of God, humanity and academia.
I realized that I’d drawn a false dichotomy between what it means to be a “good Christian” and what it means to be a “fulfilled human.” I feared that the necessity of faith in the Christian’s life would nullify the necessity of reason, and that my emphasis on reason might distract me from carrying out the Christian life. On the other hand, I would not consider one who neglected reason to be living well as a human being: meaningful activity of the intellect is important to fulfillment as a human. Reason is that which separates man from the rest of creation, and as a definitive characteristic, it is essential to our identity and wellbeing. Furthermore, reason is a faculty instilled in us by God—a way in which we as humanity manifest the image of our most glorious creator. And this is where the connection lies. If Christianity is redeemed humanity, what can that mean but that we must live in the fulfillment of who God created us to be? We are to exist with reason, emotion and will all flourishing in a relationship of worship with Him. This is the Christian life—indeed, the life of the fulfilled human.
I must acknowledge that I am far from understanding all the details of how this life is to be carried out. I do know, however, that God is glorified through our use of the mind, and as we trust in Him, He will guide us in further into His truth and love. In light of this, I thank God for the challenges that forced me to grow in this understanding—I worship God, marvel at humanity created in His image, and look towards the next academic semester with a renewed passion for the life of the mind.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
good Christian vs. fulfilled human. That's an interesting one. I try not to overthink things like that (partly knowing that I live my life with half my brain tied behind my back and lack the thinking cells). I find that all I should do is look for humble ways to serve God that fulfill me and better me as a person.
Here's what I mean by this: I've served different places in Sunridge. Toddlers, 1st grade, Jr. High, H.S, but none of them really fulfilled me. It didn't put me in a position where I was challenged to learn, fellowship and love. Until I led a CORE group and started working sound.
The core group was good in that I got to teach (which also provokes me to learn because I can't be teaching people garbage) and helped me get to know young people in H.S. It also helped to develop leadership skills.
Sound was almost the opposite, it instilled discipline that helped me put things in an ordered perspective. The fulfillment was also through the roof. I got to mix for either 11 God fearing musicians on the stage so that they can enter into worship easier or mix for 1100 people and try to help them enter into worship. Which is more fulfilling? I dunno. It's not a glorious job. Long hours, technical problems, fatigued ears from loud volumes, and musicians ceaselessly saying "why can't I hear myself in the monitors?? And if you screw up royally you have Greg turn around and give you a look like you just farted really loud during his sermon. However in spite of all that it's a great challenge and an easy way to commune with another 3 men per week in the church who are running sound with you. When you're alone in adversity you don't have much hope. But when you are in the company of others you can draw strength from others.
(But this is all just MY opinion)
The Mind, the Heart, the Soul. I'm not really sure where one ends and the other begins, just that I want to use them all to the fullest. May God grant you the wisdom to know when to think with your heart, and feel with your head.
Remember that faith is one of the best things to do with your head.
Go give em heaven beautiful!
Much love, Dad
Post a Comment