Colossians 2:8, "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ."

2 Corinthians 10:4-5, "We use God's mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ."

Think

Have you ever met someone who refuses to give Christianity the time of day because they believe it to be anti-intellectual - a religion that values ignorance and naiveté above intelligence? Some believe that the Bible promotes blind faith, a leap into the darkness, where critical thinking is a sin. Here is a truism: No one should willingly follow any school of thought that decaffeinates critical thinking, pitting faith against reason.

The Bible does not endorse blind leaps of faith but speaks of gaining a knowledge of God through sound reasoning. Instead of taking a blind leap, it encourages a well-informed and volitional step of faith. Jesus said the greatest commandment was to love God with all of one's heart, soul, and mind. No wonder Paul warns his readers not to fall captive to empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense, which is merely human and divorced from God's revelation

Paul is not condemning all philosophy, only false philosophy. He tells the church at Corinth to expose the false arguments raised against the knowledge of God and point them to Christ. Throughout Paul's many intellectual encounters, the Bible reveals him to be a wise and careful thinker. Choosing to follow Christ should lead to a robust life of the mind, not intellectual suicide.

So, no need to check your brain at the door. Wisdom is a gift from God, and it's yours for the taking as you ask questions and grow in the knowledge of God through spending time in Scripture each day!

Act

Five minutes is a long time! Take five minutes every day to learn something new about the Bible and your faith in Christ. In time, those five minutes will add up significantly.

Pray

Dear God, Teach me how to be a careful thinker who knows what I believe about You and my faith in Jesus Christ. Expose what's false in my thinking and show me the truth. In Jesus' name, Amen.