Faith in Christ helps me think in new ways

Some say men think like a rifle shot — one shot at a time and straight to one target. On the other hand, women think more like the spray from a shotgun. We hit the target but go all over the place doing it. Another analogy likens the female brain to the way a computer uses RAM or random-access-memory by gathering information from all over the place to solve the problem, while men use a more logical and linear method. Both may come to the same answer or conclusion, but it’s easier to follow the linear method.

Of course there are exceptions. I had a seminary professor who gave lectures using the shotgun method. Following him was not easy and taking notes almost impossible, but he was a splendid teacher.

For myself, I like point form now and then. My mind is not only scattered but easily distracted. A logical thought process keeps me organized and able to make sense of complicated issues.

When it comes to Bible study, much of its teaching is scattered. If a person wants to know what God is like, there are many places that describe Him, not just one section dedicated to that doctrine, or any other for that matter. Systematic theology is the study of bringing all the information on one topic together to make sense of it and to declare it plainly.

Tozer points to a single part of a passage today and makes one point about it. As usual, his writing reveals a knowledge of other passages, but he often uses one to make his case or state his thoughts. For me, I tend to look at the context of a statement and glean what I can from that, sometimes linking it to other passages on the same topic as Tozer does.

Today’s Scripture is part of a longer one that is laid out logically with helpful transitions between its several and important points. Passages like this bless my scattered mind and give me greater ability to make logic out of a broad spectrum of information.

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:1–5)

God justified me through the death of Christ and through faith in Him. Since I am justified, I have peace with God, also through Christ. Along with being justified and having no more animosity between myself and God, I have continued access by faith to God’s grace. This grace makes me stand firm in faith before God and gives me great joy. I am joyful because I know that God will be glorified. This joy sticks with me when I suffer because I know that suffering produces endurance. I also know endurance develops my character, and in that character my hope increases. It is the kind of hope that assures me because it comes from the love of God. He pours that into my heart to overflowing. This happens through the power of the Holy Spirit, with whom God has also blessed me.

Take it the other way. God gave me the power of the Holy Spirit who pours into me the love of God — so much so that it overflows. His love takes away all my shame and replaces it with hope and the marvel of a new and changed character. That character is developed through endurance in trials and suffering. This process has deepened my desire that God be glorified. I hope in that result as I stand in the grace given to me by faith, faith that has declared me justified before God and given me peace.

Tozer says that we cannot love God or love others as He does apart from the work of the Holy Spirit in us. By reading the context, I can see why. The love of God comes in through the Holy Spirit and the love of God flows out through that same power. It cannot happen any other way. If I try to love as I should without the Spirit, that love will be interfered with or ruined by shame, hopelessness, impatience, selfishness, personal worries and agitation. His love never thinks of itself. The only way I can love like that is by drawing it from Him and spilling it out to others. That only happens when the Spirit of God has His way in me — through trials and through the marvelous grace of God.

^^^^^^^^^^

Lord Jesus, faith in You is more than a promise of eternal life. Faith in You changes everything. I might remain in the female mind-set or think more like a rifle shot, but either way, You are the one who keeps my aim on giving You glory, forgives me when I step out of line and brings me joyfully back on target.