When someone
suggests that a certain decision is a “no-brainer,” they mean that the answer
is so obvious that they do not even need to give time thinking about it. Sadly,
these no-brainer choices are often followed by the regretful wish that the
person had given the situation more thought after all![1]
In contrast to
the no-brainer mindset (or brainset, if you will), is the whole-brainer view of
life. Not only is it preferable to use our brain rather than making brainless
decisions, but it is also preferable to use our whole brain instead of only one
side or the other.
While I am no
expert in all the differences between the left and right hemispheres of our
brain, I understand the primary difference to be that the left-hemisphere is
where we process the factual, detailed, side of thought, and the
right-hemisphere is where we process the emotional, feeling, side of life.
Because we are
designed and created by God as body, soul, and spirit, I treat each part of us
as equally important, even though I do not know how they all fit or work
together. In the same way as I want to know if someone has a medical condition
that affects their energy-level, ability to concentrate, freedom of thought, or
control of emotions, I want to know if they are using their God-given brain to
its full capacity.
One way to
assess how well people are doing is to identify whether they are consistently
relating to others in a whole-brainer kind of way. The Bible shows us the many
facets of human thought, feeling, and behavior. It clarifies what human
thought, feeling, and behavior looks like when expressed through the sark (the
flesh), and what our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors look like when we are
living “in Christ,”[2]
and “by the Spirit”.[3]
In a similar
way that the physical expressions of smiles and frowns can tell us how people
are doing inwardly, their expression of thoughts and feelings can help us
appreciate how they are doing in their inner being, and how their brains are
helping or hindering them in their fellowship with God and his people.
Without
becoming too technical,[4]
our inner being can be identified as our heart, soul, and mind.[5] Jesus
combined these three terms as a summary of our total being when he instructed
people regarding what we would need to do if we were trying to keep the
greatest commandment.[6]
God designed
our inner being to express itself to the spiritual world through our spirit,
and to the material world through our physical body. There is no doubt that our
brain is a central part of our ability to relate to one another in the physical
realm. Many studies have been done to try to understand how much the condition
of our brains can affect how we feel inwardly, and how much our inner condition
can affect our brains and bodies.
One of the
most helpful lessons to me, both as a pastor who is obligated to watch over
people’s souls,[7]
and to seek that all believers would have our “whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ,”[8]is
that both our inner being, and our brains, are distinguished by thoughts and
feelings.
My
understanding of human maturity, with our distinctive focus on maturity in
Christ Jesus,[9]
pictures God’s people relating to one another in a Spirit-filled,[10]
fruit of the Spirit,[11]
transformed by the renewal of our minds,[12]
kind of way. In summary, a healthy, maturing, child of God will be able to
freely think and feel at the same time. Their mind, soul, and heart, should all
be working together, and their two brain hemispheres should be able to express
the inner being without any restriction.
Since the thoughts
and intentions of the Spirit-filled heart, soul, and mind, expressed through a
fully functioning left-and-right-sided brain, will be free to think with the
mind of Christ, and feel with the full range of emotions designed in the image
and likeness of Jesus Christ, anything less than this should be seen as
something in need of ministry and encouragement.
In other
words, instead of treating the left-brained doctrinal doctorates of the church
as fully mature, we should consider how to minister to them so that their full
heart, soul, and mind are working together through both sides of their brain. Instead
of treating the right-brained emotional experts as hopeless,[13]
we should consider how to minister to them so that their full heart, soul, and
mind are able to call their left-brain thoughts to comfort their right-brain
sorrows.
I am not in any way trying to box these
things in to definitions, or to experiences, but to cover the gist of the idea
that our heart, soul, and mind are different sides to our inner being, and that
our left and right brain hemispheres are designed to match the thought and
feeling side of our immaterial being. Ministry should aim to lead people to a
wholeness in Christ that is able to mature in every aspect of how Jesus himself
has made us in his image, even when it feels like the microscopic changes would
never qualify as “being transformed into
the same image from one degree of glory to another.”[14]
So, while some
people take pride in living out of a no-brainer mindset, and others feel quite
satisfied in the lop-sided experience of left or right brain limitations, let
us seek to experience that love that fills our hearts, souls, minds, and
strength, as demonstrated by thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that come from a
whole-brainer, spirit-and-truth,[15] filled
with the Spirit,[16]
fellowship with God and his people.[17]
Practically
speaking, if you aren’t sure that your whole heart, soul, and mind are freely
expressing themselves through both sides of your brain, ask God to show you how
you are doing. This prayer from the Psalms seems to about cover everything we
need to ask. Pray the prayer, wait on God for the answer, and follow your
Savior where he leads. And, feel free to let me know how you are doing.
“Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!”[18]
© 2014 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517,
Merritt, BC, Canada, V1K 1B8 ~ in2freedom@gmail.com
Unless otherwise noted,
Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English
Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good
News Publishers.)
[1]
Sometimes the “regretful wish” is felt by the victims of the no-brainer
decisions before the maker of said decisions realizes what they have done (or
not done).
[2]
Romans 8:1-2; I Corinthians 1:30; Galatians 3:26-28; Ephesians 1:1-14 repeats
this phrase a few times, while the book of Ephesians continues to emphasize
this relationship with synonymous expressions as well; Philippians 1:1;
Colossians 1:2; and many other Scriptures.
[3]
Galatians 5:25
[4]
To hide the fact that I am not technical at all!
[5]
Paul referred to the “inner being” in Romans 7:22; 2 Corinthians 4:16;
Ephesians 3:16
[6]
Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27
[7]
Hebrews 13:17
[8]
I Thessalonians 5:23
[9]
Ephesians 4:11-16 gives a good picture of how this works together in the
church.
[10]
Ephesians 5:18
[11]
Galatians 5:22-23
[12]
Romans 12:1-2
[13]
I had trouble coming up with a phrase for this lop-sided side of the brain to
correspond with the left-brained doctrinal doctorates. However, being an
emotional expert myself, I hope that this term will suffice to make the point.
[14]
II Corinthians 3:18
[15]
John 4:23
[16]
Ephesians 5:18
[17]
I John 1:1-4
[18]
Psalm 139:23-24
No comments:
Post a Comment