As humans, we like to simplify things, and it has served us well for thousands of years. In the 1700’s Swedish scientist Carl Linnaeus simplified the study of nature by creating a system of classifying animals and plants. Much later, Henry Ford simplified the car manufacturing process by creating the assembly line system. Efficiency and simplification have made it much easier to live on planet Earth. However, it is killing us in terms of how we handle belief and thought.
If I were to tell someone I am concerned about the environment, a whole list of assumptions about me would scroll through their mind. They might assume I support population control, abortion, or socialism. If I were to say that I think it is important to read the Bible, that list of assumptions would look very different. They might assume I own multiple guns, vote a particular party, or hate certain people.
Not everyone thinks this way, but it is safe to say that some thoughts and beliefs are commonly boxed in with others. There’s a box for liberals, a box for conservatives, a box for White people, a box for non-white people, a box for Christians, and the list goes on. Inside each box is a list of beliefs and convictions. If you express concern about explicit sexual content on TV, then you must belong to the conservative box that votes Republican every election.
The problem with thinking inside these boxes is that we become blind to nuance. We give ourselves permission to stop thinking and allow ourselves to be categorized and identified with ideas we haven’t given appropriate consideration, much less taken to the scriptures to see if it matches God’s Word. We also begin making unfair judgments on people who disagree with us, placing them into one of those boxes even if they don’t really belong there. We allow our thoughts and beliefs to be dictated by the world around us.
We need to make a habit of unboxing our minds.
Never stop thinking
Lack of questioning is bad for your mind. This is a danger, especially for Christians. A lot of believers feel they can’t question their teachers or even what they read in the Bible because it seems disrespectful.
The reality is that questioning is the most respectful thing to do. When you have access to a bottomless well of infinite wisdom, why would you not engage with it? If you see something in the Bible that doesn’t quite add up to you, don’t be scared to question it. The Bible won’t break, and you’ll only grow from the experience.
When it comes to issues that are less spiritual, it is just as important to never stop thinking. If you find yourself believing things just because someone you admire and respect believes it, or because people expect you to believe it, you have let your guard down. Ask yourself why you believe this thing and if it is actually true. Believing something just because someone else made a good argument for it isn’t enough– there are a lot of fools in the world who can argue well. You must be convinced in your own mind, and even then understand that knowledge and belief are ongoing processes in which you must continue to grow and develop.
Be Berean
How do we discern what to believe? By the Word of God.
When Paul and Silas began preaching in Thessalonica and many were saved, some Jewish leaders became angry and stirred up trouble for them, claiming they were against Caesar because they followed Christ (Acts 17:7). Because they made the assumption that following Jesus meant rebelling against Caesar, they gave themselves permission to stop thinking, and never took the opportunity to search the Scriptures and see the truth Paul was preaching.
Moving on to Berea, Paul and Silas found quite a different crowd. The Berean Jews “were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11). The Bereans made no assumptions on their own, nor did they box Paul and Silas in with those who rebelled against the government as the Thessalonians had done. Instead, they thoughtfully compared what Paul was preaching with what they knew was true: the Word of God.
This should be the attitude of every Christian, no matter the issue. Whether it is abortion, gun control, environmental issues, or how you treat your own body, the Bible is more than sufficient to inform and instruct in truth.
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2).
The world thinks in boxes. It is simple, easy, and full of lies. God calls us to press into His Word, transforming our minds with truth, always asking questions, and always thinking.
