The intersection between Scriptural concepts and life experience fascinates me. A study of the words translated as heart in the Bible have led us to understand that the biblical concept of the heart includes all the functions of the immaterial self: the cognitive, affective, and volitional domains. The heart thinks (example from Hebrews 4:12:”…the thoughts and intentions of the heart…”). The heart feels (example from Exodus 4:14: “…glad in his heart”). The heart chooses (example from Daniel 1:8: “Daniel purposed in his heart…”). Check out the hundreds of other biblical references to the heart, and you will see all the nuanced activities of the heart, the real self.
We discussed this at the ladies’ retreat on May 4. One lady asked me why it is that the thinking of a person can contradict the decisions of that same person. Someone may know something to be true but act against that truth. Think of some examples. It’s easy to come up with lots of examples: the contradiction between knowing what is healthy to eat and choosing to eat it; the dissonance between knowing selfless behavior and performing it; and the difference between knowing the gospel of Jesus Christ, believing it, and living out the truth.
Why do our minds, emotions, and wills want to fight each other? This is a good question. What do you think? What do you base your answers upon? Can you reason some answers from Scripture? How do your answers relate to your experience? I think I’ll just toss you this conversation ball and see if a few people will give this some thought and toss back some ideas.
In the mean time, it’s time for me to get ready to visit my two favorite munchkins — my four year old and one year old grandsons. And I’m picking up my husband from the Dayton airport on the way to Springboro, so it’s Nana and Papa O time with the boys!!
Merrily, merrily, here we go!
Karen Thomas Olsen
Journey North Character 