Why should Christians think about thinking?

Rob Streetman Nov. 24, 2018

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Thinking comes naturally to most of us. We may think about different things or at different speeds. Some of us think too much and others, not enough. However, one thing is true about all of us—we don’t have to think about thinking.

So, why should we? 

Consider the baseball player who wants to be a great hitter. If he is the rare “natural,” he will step in the batter’s box with little forethought and hit most anything thrown to him. The vast majority of us are not so gifted.

At the most elementary level, a hitter must think about the way he is standing in the batter’s box.  He must think about how to hold the bat and to rotate his wrists when swinging. He must think about the strike zone and the field of play.

If he has a good batting instructor, the hitter will learn (in advance) and consider (in process) the repertoire of pitches he will be required to hit. He will come to recognize that the pitcher will try to deceive him with the change-up and slider.

At a deeper level, an accomplished hitter will start to think about the way he is thinking when he steps into the batter’s box. He will have a plan—particular to the pitcher and situation. He will have mentally rehearsed the plan. The best hitters “get into the head of the pitcher” —both discerning what the next pitch will be and affecting the choice.

Pick anything you want to be good at: sales, parenting, writing, you name it. There are very few things that would not come off better with some thought about the way we think. Those that think before they do something are more successful at the task than those that don’t. Similarly, those that think about their thinking become better thinkers (and doers).

Granted, there are some things that warrant very little thinking. Once we’ve mastered getting food from plate to mouth, there’s little gained with thinking about the way we hold our fork. Unless, of course, we discover that we are holding it wrong. In that case, we may learn that changing the way we do some things will take more thinking than we would have thought.

Then there are the bigger things in life, like our vocations and relationships. In both arenas, those who excel intentionally and regularly question the way they think. They invite and seek out thinkers who challenge them. We have learned that failure to do so is a weakness, an inhibitor to growth.

For Christians, there is the biggest thing of all: our call and election as followers of Jesus Christ.

“Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:10-11). 

Peter’s encouragement to “be even more diligent” applies as much to our thinking as anything else that we might do to make our call and election sure. Synonyms for diligent include hardworking, industrious, persistent and thorough. The opposite of diligent is lazy, lethargic and sluggish (like a slug).

Wherever we are on the diligence scale, we are encouraged to “be even more.” If we knew the forces aligned against us, thinking about the way we think would be more of a priority.

Repentance may not mean what you think

The church in America desperately needs a reformation—a returning to the roots and foundations of our faith. Where do reformations begin if not with repentance?

“John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins” (Mark 1:4).

“Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel’” (Mark 1:14-15).

“Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 2:38).

In contrast with its founding, repentance has fallen out of favor in the American church. Though metanoeō(repent) and metanoia (repentance) appear 58 times in the New Testament, we rarely hear either word used in Christian gatherings. 

The meaning and purpose of repentance have been lost. For the sake of God’s kingdom and those who would enter in, we’ve got to get it back!

When we do get around to explaining repentance, we like to use catch-phrases like, “turn away from your sins” or “do an about face.” While these clichés sound good, they are no longer meaningful and effective because they are not the true meaning of repentance.

Metanoeō  means “to change one’s mind.” Not what you expected? Me either. The discovery was like an epiphany for me

Now, read the above passages with this new understanding. The difference is striking. John, Jesus and Peter are saying, “Change your mind about the kingdom of God and how you enter into it!”

Change your mind

Now we can see that repentance is not an event. It is the beginning of a process—the change of mind that enables the hearing of faith, which in turn leads to a change in behavior. The turning away from our sins begins with a change of our mind. 

This brings us to Romans 12:2, where we are encouraged to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Perhaps, in the Age of Reason, we need a reformation in the way we think. We need to start seriously and soberly thinking about the way we think as Christians. This is easier said than done.  

We have become lazy with our thinking. We trust our thinking way too much. Those of us who preach and teach trust the thinking of others more than we should. The results are obvious and they are not good. It is time we tried something different.

God is a process-oriented problem solver; He uses processes to solve problems. For example, God uses the salvation process to solve the problem of our rebellious separation from Him. Our lack of holiness is also a problem solved by sanctification. More to the point of this article, we have a problem with our minds. We need a process from God. 

Taking every thought captive

When you listen to someone or read something, and your mind says to you, “Oh, I’ve heard that before,” then be suspicious. That may be your carnal mind’s attempt at preserving the mindset it has so carefully created.  

What should we do with such thoughts?  The same thing we are commanded to do with every thought:

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ…” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).

Ask the Lord what He would have you do with each of the thoughts you capture. He may tell you to put it aside. He may just as well tell you something He would like for you to do with it. For example, if the distracting thought is about a meeting you have that day, He may want you to pray for the anticipated attendees. Or, the thought may be about an issue for which He wants to give you wisdom.  

Whatever the case may be, our dedicated time of prayer is the perfect training ground for practicing His presence. As our conditioned response to distractions in prayer is transformed and we begin to turn to Him with them, it becomes easier to do the same when confronted with events and distractions during the day.  

So, why should we think about thinking? Because, for the Christian, everything depends on it: our relationship with God and His people, avoiding deception, being transformed into the glory of the image of Jesus Christ, our salvation, everything. Our mind is too complex and capable of mischief to leave it to its own governance. As Christians, we must strive to understand the mind; that we might bring it into the subjection of our King.

Excerpted from the upcoming book,An Enemy Lies Within, by Rob Streetman. 

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Rob Streetman serves the body of Christ as President of two parachurch ministries: inLight Consulting (a workplace transformation ministry) and 2:2 Collective (a unity and church growth ministry). He is the author of two books: The Map Maker and A Storm is Coming. Rob’s heart desires is to encourage, edify and equip Christian leaders as disciple-makers and transformation agents—that they would become houses that stand in the storms of this life. He previously worked in various IT industry positions. Learn More »

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