Sow A Thought--The Art of Mental Graven Images

Last night I picked up a book from my shelf called The Art of Thinking. The author had one idea that I couldn't seem to let go of until I wrote about it:

 "All we can say is: 1. That most of our mental operations are inseparable from images, or are produced by images...2. That those images closely correspond to wishes or repulsions, to things we want or do not want, so that this wanting or not wanting seems to be the ultimate motive power in our psychology, probably in connection with elementary conditions in our being. 3. That inevitably, people will reveal in their thoughts and speeches, in their outlook on life and in their lives themselves, the quality of the images filling their minds. Investigation and estimation of these images, together with investigation and estimation of our likes and dislikes, will tell us what we are worth morally more accurately than even our actions, for they are the roots of action" (19).

This quote in turn brings to mind the famous proverb often attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson: "Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny." So, it hit me that we should guard our minds against these images and be very careful what we allow to enter our minds. I realize this is not a new thought, but it struck me in a fresh way.

Our thoughts are made up of images, so if we want to change our thoughts or our actions we have to tackle it at the level of the images. Maybe this I why God placed a ban on idols and graven images in Israel. In the classic book 1984 Orwell writes about the idea that if a society eliminates words from the vocabulary it also eliminates the ideas associated with those words. If you don't have words to convey a concept, it's difficult to have a clear thought, let alone pass it along.

So what if these mental images work in the same way? If we begin to eradicate our minds of sinful images--images that fuel covetousness, lust, pride, etc.--we begin getting rid of the building blocks of sinful thoughts and actions. The authors of Every Man's Battle propose this when they write about "starving the eyes." But it's not enough to get rid of these images (if we even can) without overwriting them with other ones.

This is where Romans 12:1-2 helps me begin to understand this process. "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Paul adds more to this picture in Philippians 4:8 when he writes, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

If we want Christ Jesus to control our lives, it's time we start allowing Him to overwrite some of the corrupted files in our minds with His own image rather than lesser gods around us.

Image courtesy of Renjith Krishnan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

"The Metamorphosis--Why Gregor Samsa Became a Roach and So Can You"

Perhaps you remember the story of Gregor Samsa. One morning he wakes up to discover that he has become a giant vermin (this often gets translated as "roach"), only he doesn't seem very surprised--a little embarrassed, but not surprised. Kafka never says why Gregor turned into a giant vermin--only that he does. The point seems to be that Gregor merely becomes outwardly what he truly was all along. As the proverb goes: "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he" (Prov. 23:7 KJV).

So, if we are what we eat, and thoughts are the food of the mind, then we become what we think. It truly is an easy equation with a difficult solution: if we claim Jesus the Messiah as our Lord (ruler) and Savior, then we have signed up to follow Him and be transformed into His likeness. If so, then we need to eat food (think thoughts) that will be transformational for that life in Christ. Romans 12:2 states: "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will" (NIV). The Koine Greek word for "transformed" here is "metamorphoo." Look familiar?

Often we think of transformation as instantaneous, but a look at the life of C.S. Lewis, Martin Luther, or any number of people throughout history will show that transformation often takes place gradually...one thought at a time. Also, Paul's exhortation requires action on the part of his hearers. He does not say, "Sit back a wait. God will unilaterally transform your mind." He gives a negative command (Do not be conformed) and gives a contrasting exhortation (Be transformed). This is action that takes work over a period of time.

So, what are the different things that influence our thoughts? People at work, friends, family, radio, internet, T.V., books, magazines, etc. How mindful are we about the quality of information we are getting? 

Recently, I had to do a project in which I had to pick an hour time slot for 4 to 5 viewing sessions of T.V. and catalog the images that were being conveyed as I flipped through channels. First of all, I was amazed at the sheer amount of images and messages that assault our minds in just one hour of T.V.! Second of all, I was surprised at how certain norms and agendas were being reinforced or promoted. I encourage you to keep a pad of paper on your coffee table and write down notes on the images you see during programing. What is being said about women, men, different races, needs, wants, politics, religion? What keeps recurring? What is being left out? We can do this type of evaluation with everything from billboards to radio.

There is no doubt that we are being shaped. The question is: WHO is shaping us?

One day we may wake up to find that we look more and more like Jesus Christ...or we may wake up to find out that we have turned into a giant roach like Gregor. We need to be mindful of what we're eating/thinking. Maureen brought up a powerful verse in the discussion of my last post, and with that I will leave you: 2 Corinthians 10:5 "We pull down every proud obstacle that is raised against the knowledge of God; we take every thought captive and make it obey Christ" (Good News Bible).

The Importance of Being Intellectually Earnest

Hello and welcome to The Christian Intellect,

There are many reasons why I think a blog like this is necessary. The first is that while there are many blogs that specialize in certain foci (i.e. philosophy, theology, history, random pastoral thoughts, or even Biblical studies) I am looking to create place in which all these topics are fair game, but more importantly I am looking to create a place where we can all learn how to think--no matter what the topic is. 

Secondly, there are many Christians out there (perhaps you are one) who suffer from the lowered standards of most of our evangelical churches. Here, I hope to promote thinking in many areas where the average church attender may be anemic and provide resources to boost the intellect. I do not claim to be an expert by any means, but I am a Christian who is hungry to know more about God, His Word, and the world He created. Our Western culture is saturated with under-achievement and anti-intellectualism. We have become more concerned with celebrity gossip than with world affairs...let alone reading the Bible.

What does it mean to be a Christian intellectual? Does it imply someone who sits quietly in an arm chair studying while the world goes slowly to hell in a hand-basket? I have recently heard some voices from mainstream Christianity that implied that study and thinking is over-rated and that what the church really needs to be about is service. "Just get out there and serve others and people will be drawn to Jesus." This sounds good. It sounds right. It appeals to our sense of American initiative: "Don't just stand there--do something!"

Unfortunately, many people do not see the danger in this polarized focus on service. Here is the danger as I see it:
Many of our churches today are "seeker-sensitive" in nature. They are doctrine and Scripture light and heavy on the emotional/aestetic qualities, such as lighting, music, trendy graphics, etc. In some of the churches I have attended over the years, people would come forward to be baptized, they would be asked to repeat a brief confessional ("I believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and I except Him as my Savior.")--then they were a "Christian" that the church was ready to send off to serve in the community. What is worse is that I saw many of the people disappear from the church soon after, only to hear that they were living immoral lives, into drugs and alcohol, or any number of sinful behaviors. Here is not the place for a discussion on conversion, but it is my introduction into the importance of learning and study in the course of discipleship. If we, as Christians, do not stay connected to the vine in all aspects of our life, we will wither.

When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, he answered that it was to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength (Lk 10:27). But what does it mean to love God with our mind? What we learn and know about God matters! God wants the whole package. God uses learning, especially through His Word, to transform us (Romans 12:2).

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed,
knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted
with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through
faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable
for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:14-16

It is my hope and prayer that we may build a community that will spur each other on to growing as Christian thinkers.