Reading the book Think, The Life of the Mind and the Love of God by John Piper gave me a whole new perspective on how our Holy Bible was intricately breathed by the Holy Spirit to contain myriad of God’s wonderful messages to us. Some may enjoy reading the Bible, others may find it perplexing. John Piper’s book sends out a message to all the readers to dig deeper on Scriptures, having to use our Mind as a necessity in understanding the context as well as the message.
What is the role of our minds? Mentally and Physically, I’d say it is mainly used to get us functioning as a human. Emotionally, it feeds our hearts with substances that will fuel our heart’s emotions. How about Spiritually?
“…in 2 Timothy 2:7, Paul says, “Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.” So many people swerve off the road to one side of this verse or the other. Some stress “Think over what I say.” They emphasize the indispensable role of reason and thinking. And they often minimize the supernatural role of God in making the mind able to see and embrace the truth. Others stress the second half of the verse: “for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.” They emphasize the futility of reason without God’s illumining work.” (pp 64)
It is true that we need heavenly grace to be able to grasp God’s divine complexity in this life. Yet I was reminded with the portion above to embrace both human thinking and divine illumination as a necessity to grow in faith. Many times we lean only on one side of the picture subconsciously and with such, there’s a danger as to the effect of how we perceive things or run our lives.
“…Both-and. Not either-or. The word “for” (in the above verse) means that the willingness of God to give us understanding is the ground of our thinking, not the substitute for it.” (pp 65)
I would like to quote a passage from the book that would somehow sum up how thinking could get us to understand more. Aside from this, I also had goosebumps after discovering a wonderful thought underneath.
Matthew 7: 1-12 (NIV) 7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”
“… did you notice the word so at the beginning of verse 12? Did it send out a clear and compelling message about the relationship between Jesus’ teaching on prayer, on the one hand, and the Golden Rule, on the other hand? It looks like this: “How much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them”.
The word so is not a throwaway word here. ... “God will answer your prayers and give you what’s really good for you; therefore treat others the way you would like to be treated.” (pp 52)
What is the relationship between God’s answering our prayers and our loving other people? Could it be that part of God’s granting request is based on a “so / therefore” as seen above? It got me thinking more about the nature of prayer. Yes we know that we should ask and seek, that God answers us in His timing, and that when we pray we should not doubt as to receive. Yet this new discovery literally got me thinking on a whole new level on how God answers our prayers. Do you have petitions left unanswered? Could it be because of something relevant with the Golden Rule?
“Does Jesus promise that our heavenly Father always gives just what we ask for?” “Does it say he gives exactly what his son asks?” Why did verses 9-10 specify what Jesus would NOT give instead of what He will give from what we ask? . . . Questions, questions; Think, think.
Hence, the word “so / therefore” is a key to many treasures. There are numerous passages in the bible with a connecting “therefore” thought. That's why the next time we try to seek for answers, always strive to include the “therefore” context in your search as it may just be your key to be able to get some answers.
I haven’t finished the book yet but I’m pretty sure it will render me more unraveled meanings and purposes. For someone who likes to think and over-think, I strongly recommend this book to get us in the right track of thinking! J
