At Home – by Rudy Gray

I recently wrote an article for a national publication. After it was published, a reader responded to the article by stating that faith, not thinking, was the key for Christian living.

Rudy Gray

I would not disagree with his conviction, but I do not believe you can have faith without thinking.

Right thinking is an important key in living a genuine Christian life. The Christian faith is a thinking faith. Our trouble is not that we think – we all do, believe it or not. Our problem and our potential are found in what and how we think.

There are numerous references in scripture to the process of thinking (i.e., Prov. 23:7, Phil. 4:8, Rom. 12:2, 2 Tim 2:7, and many more). Paul challenges us to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. Some recent research indicates that what had been called a symptom of depression (negative thinking) may actually be the cause of depression.

Almost everyone could benefit from a simple three-step structure for thinking better:

First, we should slow down our thinking. By doing so, we are more likely to capture the racing thoughts that fly through our hearts and heads some of the time.

Second, we must learn to challenge our mistaken beliefs. We all seem to have them, and we must challenge them with the truth. For example, you may think that you must be successful to really be somebody. That is a mistaken belief. You are somebody of great worth if you are a Christian. Also, God does not require his people to be successful, but faithful.

Finally, we must learn to speak the truth to ourselves. After all, Jesus said the truth would set us free – especially his truth that can liberate us from self-imposed negative thinking or mistaken beliefs.

Right thinking is not unspiritual. It is essential. We are invited by God in Isaiah to reason with him. Our great God has given us the ability to think and redeemed us to think rightly. In life, our well-being is not because of what happens to us, but how we interpret what happens. That requires thinking. Right thinking results in godly living. Godly living fulfills our great purpose as a Christian: glorifying God.