Clear Thinking

Matthew 17:25 – "What do you think, Simon?" he asked.
Matthew 18:12 – "What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep…"
Matthew 21:28 – "What do you think? There was a man who had two sons…"
Matthew 22:41-42 – Jesus asked them, "What do you think about the Christ?" (NIV)

Have you ever had a really productive day, a day when you rose up in the morning, clear-headed and alert? You tackled the chores, and those awkward little jobs you had been putting off, and everything seemed to go smoothly?

I had one of those days, and it seemed that problems almost solved themselves. After working the whole day long, suppertime drew near and with daylight fading, I marvelled at how the time had flown by. "If only every day could be as productive as this one," I thought, "I could really accomplish something." What made this day different? Was I stronger or smarter or more spiritual than usual? No. What was it then?

The only thing that stood out was that I was thinking clearly. I didn't need more brains or money, more time or studying — I just needed to use the brain God gave me. Then it immediately occurred to me that, if only I were to think clearly about God, about my relationship with Him, perhaps I could make great progress on my spiritual journey!

What if I were to tackle all those mundane spiritual chores with a clear head? What if I addressed those niggling little obedience problems I have, and bring my actions into line with God's will, would they be solved smoothly if only I were to think clearly? And the answers I came up with were: yes, and yes again.

Christianity is straightforward and easy to understand, but there is much spiritual difficulty caused by muddy thinking. Often all the information is sitting in our minds, just waiting for us to jump out of our mental rut and fit it together. We have been redeemed by Jesus' sacrifice. When we follow our Lord we will be happier immediately, in the future, and even after death. We have the information and we have a brain.

Jesus does not ask us to follow him blindly; He asks us to think.

Prayer: Dear God, you have given us such an abundance of intelligence and marvellous mental abilities; we thank you for these powerful gifts. Help us to use our minds to think clearly and to grow closer to you and to others, in faith and love. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.