I remember sitting in the car at around age two or three and hearing my older brother, Landon, tell Mom, “I have a question: …” I promptly ask, “What’s a question?” “What you just ask,” someone replied. I don’t remember the rest of the explanation; it didn’t make much sense to me, but wanting to be as intelligent as Landon, I said, “I have a question.” I followed this assertion with another statement, which I was informed was not a question.
Even before we know what questions are, we begin to ask them. Sometimes I wonder, though. What is the point of thinking? I don’t mean “simple” thinking such as basic cognitive function, thinking about activities and people, or planning the day’s events. I mean deep thinking. Asking about the nature of existence, knowledge, and morality, and reason. The yawning chasm of an utter lack of understanding sometimes seems more frightening than inspiring.
Today, I read Philippians 4:8:
“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”
The verse puzzles me to some extent. Words like “lovely” or “of good repute” have so many different meanings that it seems hard to apply. I went through the verse with a Strong’s Concordance, looking at the Greek words and cross referencing them, which did clear up a lot of the ambiguity. The most surprising discovery, for me though, came when I looked up, “dwell.”
Logizomai: “To consider, take into account, weigh, meditate on…This word deals with reality. If I “logizomai” or reckon that my bank book has $25 in it, it has $25 in it. Otherwise I am deceiving myself. This word refers to facts not suppositions.”
We aren’t instructed to “dwell” esoterically on ideas that we cannot relate back to the real world. Instead, the answer to, “why think?” comes in verse 9,
“The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”
We think so that we will act as God wants us to act. We think to seek the truth about the nature of existence, knowledge, and morality, and reason, not so that we can give ourselves philosophical high-fives, but so that we can determine a real course of action.
What is a question? An opportunity to pursue truth and act on it.
7 comments:
I like this post.
I hadn't thought about it this way before, connecting the idea of dwelling on truth so we live by it, with the idea of questions being opportunities to understand truth and God better.
This is such an encouraging post Avery!
I had just read that verse (Phil. 4:8) in my devotional. And you have brought a whole other meaning to it.
I also love the definition of a question, it is SO true.
I miss you deary. Hope all is going well :)
Very interesting!! I've asked myself the same question:
Why bother about learning, or determining what you believe, or how things work and why? Very good post, and quite thought provoking...
I love how your posts are so well thought out. This hit me because I just got back from Worldview Academy, where we answered a lot of questions. Your posts edify me. Thanks for this one.
Hey Avery, where do you get all your cool clip art?
Oh, and good post, too.
I'll have to go with Brian's question. That is cool clip art.
Loved the post though. Interesting and thought provoking.
Thank you all!
As far as clip art, I just use google images.
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