“But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more” Psalm 71:14

The human brain is an amazing creation.  It has spawned the marvelous inventions of space and plummeted the depths of the biological kingdom.  It has given birth to the space program, the marvelous advancements of medicine, the libraries of the world, the advancements of civilization, the remarkable achievements in the fields of science, history, anthropology, literature, social studies and a jillion things that neither time nor space allow me to mention.  It has also produced the negative rationale behind two world wars and a host of lesser conflicts and the hideous reality of concentration camps, and has filled the prisons of the world because of man’s failure to think through the consequences of his actions.

Weighing slightly less than three pounds, this control center of the human body has been described as an “electrochemical organ” using intricate networks to control the brain’s billions of nerve cells.  While less developed creatures may reason, at least to a degree, no lower forms of life have the same capacity to think and reason as do men and women.

Lately, I’ve been pondering our ability to think and reason in relationship to God and His design and purpose in our lives.  You’ve never thought much about that?  I’m not surprised.  Scores of people go through life never considering how reason and thought apply to the worship of God as well as to earning a living and “getting ahead of your competition.”

The Bible tells us simply that God created us in His own image, which included the ability to reason and think.  One of Adam’s first assignments was the task of naming the animals which God had created, and the Hebrew names which Adam gave them reflect their shapes and temperament.  It was no primitive “cave man dummy” who had that ability, but someone who evaluated, reasoned and then applied logic to the task before him.

Isaiah, the seventh century prophet, challenged us to “think and reason” when it comes to our relationship with of God.  He records the invitation of the Almighty saying, “`Come now, let us reason together,’ says the Lord.  `Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool'” (Isaiah 1:18).

Paul used a Greek word, logikos, the same word that gives us the English word, logic, to describe our responsibility to God. In Romans 12:1-2 Paul earnestly pled with people to give their bodies as a living sacrifice, which he described as “reasonable service”).

And who was this one who described our relationship with God as being “logical” or “reasonable”?  He was the scholar who studied at the feet of Gamaliel, one of the most respected rabbis of his day.  He was also the one whose life was turned around by an encounter with Jesus Christ as he traveled to Damascus to bring Christians back to Jerusalem in chains.  He was the theologian of the New Testament, the man who did more to put Christianity on the map than any other person after the resurrection.  He was brilliant, highly educated, and had thought through the issues of life–something that few have done.

Never thought much about your relationship with God?  Few people do, but it is something you should do before you lie in a hospital bed wondering if you will make it through surgery.

Four questions demand the use of your brain: (1) Who am I?  (2) Where did I come from?  (3) What is the purpose of life?  And (4) Where do I go after I die?”  The Bible addresses all of these.  Use your brain and start thinking.  I know it is tough work but it’s tremendously important.

 

Resource reading:  Psalm 119:73-80