We live in a world of amusement. Thinking is not a valuable proposition in our world. But Christians are to be a thinking people. The very nature of our doctrine demands that we think deeply about some things.
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Musing is the birthplace of ideas. An idea is the genesis of anything you can see or hear around you. Any physical object around you started as an idea. Any sound started as an idea, a thought.
Our world is focused on amusement – the removal of the need for thinking. The payday checks of athletes, actors, and entertainers proves as such.
But musing is taking more of a hit these days, even among the Christian community, for two reasons:
It takes time to think. No one has extra time just sitting around, waiting to be used for something. And if we did, we certainly wouldn’t use it just to sit and….think. We have lost margin in our lives, and along with it the time to think clearly.
Thinking does not produce any (seemingly) tangible results. Or as Seth Godin would say, thinking does not “ship” anything. Thinking does not help me make money, or get the kids fed or off to school, or improve my relationship with my wife. Or so we think (pun intended).
When you combine these two – time and lack of results – thinking seems to be largely a waste of time, even for the believer.
It isn’t.
Without thinking pastors, we have no thought provoking (and life changing) sermons. Without thinking Christian politicians, we are led as lambs to the altar of socialism. Without thinking Christian parents, we will lose a generation of kids to the world of amusement.
Without thinking believers, our theology will become soft and pliable, at best weak and at worst heretical.
We are losing the ability to muse, because we have lost the margin to pursue it. It is time for us to take back some of our time, build our margin, and use the time gained to think deeply about our times and our posture towards God.
Question: Do you spend enough time thinking critically every week?