Stillness with God and the Mind of Christ: Bridging the Gap Between Knowledge and Belief

Psalms 46:10 (NIV)

¹⁰ He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth.”

Stillness works as a remedy against the cognitive dissonance we experience as followers of Christ. 

Especially in Western Christianity, we are not lacking in our knowledge of God. Our struggle is that what we know in our minds does not always translate into our hearts. We know He forgives, but we struggle to feel forgiven. We know He works all things for our good, but we struggle with fear. There is often a great chasm between what we know about God and what seems right.

In the Old Testament, God gave the commandments to His people. They were written on tablets of stone. God’s covenant was not to provide these written on stone, but to put in them a new spirit that would write these on their minds and hearts (Jeremiah 31:33). The stone tablets set things in motion, but the culmination of the covenant was to be found in the minds and hearts of the people.

First, the covenant must be written on our minds so we think differently than what is natural to man. The commandments of God are necessary to show us a different way. They represent a philosophical perspective on this life and all that we experience within it. It is the philosophy of love, or more specifically, the philosophy of Agape. This is how we must live to experience the full measure of God’s goodness from His covenant promises. 

Agape is a different way of thinking. Human nature has been shaped and oriented to pursue fulfillment through selfish gain. Even at its most innocent state, the heart of man has been corrupted by sin so that our first thought in any situation is what is best for us, what do we want or need. This path seems right, but only leads to destruction. Doing what is best for us often works to the detriment of others. We leave them feeling unloved, and relationships are strained, if not broken. Life is without meaning when our actions alienate or deeply hurt those we love.

Agape, on the other hand, prioritizes what is best for the other person, even if it means personal sacrifice. This philosophy stands in direct opposition to Agape. It is such a foreign thought that we need the commandments to help us think differently. 

It is in the stillness with God that we learn of Him as we meditate on His movements and obey His commandments to do the same. We discern His wisdom from the evidence found in the effects of living His way. It is in the stillness that His Word is written on our minds. 

Prayer: Lord, give me Your wisdom and teach me Your ways. Help me abandon the natural mind of man and pursue the mind of Christ. Amen.  

Discussion Questions:

How does stillness help bridge the gap between what we know about God and what we truly believe in our minds?

In what ways does the philosophy of Agape challenge the natural mindset shaped by self-interest and self-preservation?

What practices can help us allow God’s Word to be written on our minds and hearts, rather than just acknowledged intellectually?