“Set your minds on what is above, not on what is on the earth.” Colossians 3:2 (HCSB)
I recently heard it said (by Johnny Enlow) that the more educated someone is, the harder it is to operate in faith. Education moves us from right brain dominance where imagination, intuition and creativity rule. Usually the further one travels up the academic ladder the more logical, rational they become. In fact, higher education applauds critical thinking!
But faith comes more from the right side. As believers we’re told to trust God and not our understanding (Proverbs 3:5). We are told that when we’re weak, we are strong (2 Corinthians 2:10). The foolishness of faith is totally an oxymoron to the left side of the brain. Faith always requires us operating from the right side, looks foolish, weak and irrational!
Our left brain shuts down the volume of God’s voice. It rejects the wisps, the silent whispers, the thread of revelation for the sake of science. Our left brain calls the canvas of imagination simply imaginary. Our left side cries out “prove it!” But our right side says “I believe even when I don’t/can’t see it or prove it!”
Are miracles rational? Are healings scientific? Is the voice of God like the voice of man? Of course not! Jesus turned water to wine. I know for a fact, that is definitely not how most people make wine. He took a few fish and rolls of bread and fed thousands. Not exactly how the supply chain works these days. Jesus spit, and made some mud to heal a blind man! I don’t think that’s how doctors treat blindness these days! Jesus called out to a dead man to come forth. Last I heard, mortuaries aren’t using that method. Jesus said to become great you must become a servant, to become first you must become last (Matthew 20:16). Not exactly what is being taught in business schools today. Jesus said to live we must first die (Matthew 16:24-25). Wow, that is not what I was taught in school!
Wait there’s more. A young man took out a warrior giant with a sling and a stone. Not the methods being taught in military school. Gideon reduced his army to 300 to face tens of thousands of enemy troops. Not exactly a technique we use today in battle. Or Jehoshaphat having worshippers lead the way into battle against a formidable foe. Or Joshua, marching around a city for seven days! Or Moses, raising up a stick and watching a way being made through the sea that wasn’t there before! Obviously, I could go on! The Bible is full of such testimonies to encourage us to do the same. All this to say, faith and reason are not equal in the kingdom of God. In fact, reason and logic is of the world, of the tree of knowledge. Reason, logic and education must be surrendered to God.
We are in this world but not of it (John 17:17). We’re to operate out of faith, not science! We’re told to stay in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:25), to set our mind on the things above not below (Colossians 3:2).
Surrender your logic, your reasoning and your understanding to God! Repent for wherever you have trusted your understanding more than God. Ask Him to restore your right side of the brain dominance! Ask Him to lead you, speak to you and show you how to walk by faith and not by sight. Tell Him that you trust Him with all your heart and that you will not trust your understanding above Him. Declare that you will trust Him over science! Ask Him to renew your intuition, your creativity and your imagination, and to teach you how to live from above rather than from below. Thank Him for your mind, for your knowledge, logic and reasoning, and declare it in submission to your faith!
