The Thoughtful Christian

David S. Dockery

As the workday concluded on the Trinity campus prior to the Thanksgiving break, two students visited my office with a bag full of delicious cookies. I thanked them for their kindness and their thoughtfulness, reminding them how meaningful it was for me that they would remember those in the administration at this time of year. I then shared the cookies with others on the hallway, who likewise expressed appreciation for my consideration and thoughtfulness. As I packed my briefcase to go to the house, I included a new book that arrived on my desk that day. One of the endorsements on the back of that new book lauded the “wise insights to produce a lucid and thoughtful proposal.” Thoughtful in the first instance describes a kind-hearted remembrance. Thoughtful in the second instance expands the description to include the idea of being considerate. The third usage points to the kind of reflective thinking that is noteworthy and commendable.

To describe someone as thoughtful may well suggest that this person is characteristically kind and considerate of others. Using the adjective in this manner would be quite consistent with New Testament teaching. The Apostle Paul told the Philippians to “consider others better than themselves” (Philippians 2:3b). In Ephesians, we read “be kind and compassionate to one another” (Ephesians 4:32a). While this understanding of “thoughtful” is an important aspect of the Christian life, our primary focus in this essay has to do with thinking deeply or carefully or reflectively about things.¹ In doing so, we will explore what it means for thoughtful Christians to “think Christianly,” to love God with our minds (Matthew 22:37).²

I. Thoughtful Christians Seek to Love God
with Heart, Soul, and Mind

Becoming a thoughtful Christian means learning to think well and to think Christianly. And in noting these two points, we want to say that they must be both at once. Making this observation recognizes that it is possible to be thoughtful without being Christian, and that it is possible to be a Christian without being thoughtful. Frankly, in our current duality-promoting context, either of these would be easier for most people to contemplate. What is challenging is to be both thoughtful and Christian in vigorous and vital engagement with each other and interdependence among each other.³ We believe, however, that such integration is precisely what is needed at this time in the church and in our culture.⁴

To be a thoughtful Christian does not mean that one only thinks about Christian matters, though the way one thinks should be thoroughly shaped by Christian teaching, the pattern of Christian truth.⁵ In doing so, the thoughtful Christian will explore a wide, complex, and diverse range of topics, through the lens of the Christian faith.⁶ Such exploration implies more than being thoughtful about life in general, even by a person who claims to follow Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, for unfortunately, it is quite possible to be a Christ-follower without thinking faithfully or consistently in Christian categories. We also recognize that there are times, even when we want to be thoughtful Christians that we, like the Apostle Paul, often do not do the good we want to do (Romans 7:14–16). Being a thoughtful Christian then has more to do with the intentional way we process ideas, issues, and information, learning to think in a Christian manner on a consistent basis.

We certainly want to love God with our hearts and our souls. We must, however, as Christ-followers who desire to be Great Commandment Christians in line with the teaching of Jesus (Matthew 22:37–39) love God with our minds as well.⁷ Learning to be a thoughtful Christian, or, to express it differently, to think in Christian categories, will shape the way we think about all aspects of life, whether we are talking about businesses, health care agencies, governments, social structures, recreational activities, and yes, our homes and churches, too.⁸ To be a thoughtful Christian means that we seek to think differently about the way we live and love, the way we worship and serve, the way we work to earn our livelihood, the way we learn and teach.

More than just new ideas and enhanced programs for churches and Christian organizations, the need of the hour is for thoughtful Christ-followers who reflect distinctively Christian thinking, the kind of serious-minded thinking that results in faithful engagement with the great ideas of history and the issues of our day.⁹ Such thinking means seeing all of life and learning from a Christian vantage point, thinking shaped by the Christian faith.¹⁰

Building on this brief introduction, which calls on thoughtful Christians to be Great Commandment Christians, let us turn our attention to the different areas or themes that characterize thoughtful Christ-followers who seek to love God with their minds. We will focus on themes that encourage and help men and women become serious about their Christian faith which will help prepare them for the challenges and opportunities awaiting them in the changing context of the twenty-first century. At this point, it will be helpful to explore eight larger categories that we believe will help all of us understand what is involved in learning to think Christianly, while simultaneously strengthening our efforts to do so:

• Thoughtful Christians Seek to Connect Faith Thinking with the Unity of All Knowledge;
• Thoughtful Christians Prioritize the Pattern of Christian Truth;
• Thoughtful Christians See the Relationship Between the Pattern of Christian Truth and Christian Worldview Development;
• Thoughtful Christians Affirm the Enduring Authority of the Bible;
• Thoughtful Christians Recognize the Christian Intellectual Tradition as a Valuable Resource;
• Thoughtful Christians Emphasize Reading and the Place of Cultural Engagement;
• Thoughtful Christians Underscore the Importance of Faithful Christian Living and Character Formation;
• Thoughtful Christians Envision Ongoing Service in the Church, to the Culture, and for the World.