The Importance of Thinking
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” (Philippians 4:8)
We recognize this passage as one urging our thoughts to be righteous thoughts. Often, passages like 1 Timothy 4:15 bolster the need for “serious thought” regarding righteousness. But do we appreciate the action/work involved in thinking? Are we willing to put forth that effort of contemplation that we might reach a better appreciation for and understanding of God’s Word?
Notice Jesus took time to be alone. Who could have joined Him as he walked on the Sea of Galilee? Remember when He went alone into a mountain to pray? Why did He seek the solitude? Could it be that while in this flesh (John 1:14), He needed the privacy to just think?
When in high school, writing essays was a part of the curriculum for English and History classes. We were given a subject, and the rest required our thought. We had to research the subject and list that research in the bibliography of the essay. We were not allowed to plagiarize anything, but instead, we had to think about the evidence of the subject and record those facts in our own words. We had to present no less than three pieces of evidence on the subject and unite them with an exacting conclusion. All of this required much more than reading: it required thinking. We were taught that within the first paragraph of the essay, six questions would be answered, and the rest of the essay would detail the reasons for the conclusions to who, what, when, where, why, and how.
God’s word is composed with the same diligence. God spoke it, Christ repeated it, and the Spirit inspired the minds of its writers to record this truth with extreme accuracy (Hebrews 1 through 2:4). The who, what, when, where, why, and how of God’s actions and words are carefully defined in the first paragraph of Genesis 1 and John 1. In the remaining writing of the Bible, one reads of the rewards for righteous thinking and obedience, and the punishment for sinful thinking and disobedience. In both the Old and New Testaments, we find several who devoted countless hours to serious thinking, and their reward was an increased understanding of God and His word. We further find dozens of examples of this understanding changing lives from sin to righteousness, and these lives influencing others to think before they say or do, that their lives also would be righteous.
Perhaps the lack of serious thinking is a contributing factor to today’s degradation. Are we too busy to think? Are we so enthralled with electronic entertainment that we’ve forgotten how to think? Or is it that humans have become so “self-absorbed” that they dare not think on God’s things of truth, honesty, justice, purity, loveliness, and of good report? Could it be that we are so intent on correcting others from the errors of their ways, we ignore the need to consider ourselves (2 Corinthians 13:5)?
God created us in His image, after His likeness (Genesis 1:26 – 31). Among the marvelous parts of our being is the mind. It was given to us so we could think, reason, meditate, learn, and improve, i.e., the mind is what allows us to learn how to please God and be eternally with Him. (Philippians 2:5) But the choice of thinking is ours. If we choose to think on HIS truth and obey HIM, we have no danger of being lost. It is when we think for ourselves to please ourselves, we are thinking wrongfully!