Do You Mind

‘The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein’ (Psalm 24.1).

In an episode of the television show House, Dr. Gregory House is attempting to make a point to his assistant and fellow Alison Cameron. Her efforts to figure out if Dr. House accepted her into the program simply based on her natural physical attraction are relentless. Dr. House continues to raise questions by letting her know that the other two fellows either had outstanding grades and referrals or powerful connections, but she did not. In frustration she loses it and says something to the extent that she wants to be in the program because of her brains and not her beauty. Dr. House calmly asks why it is worse to gain success from one natural and physical thing (the body) than it is from another equally natural and physical thing (the brain).
People tend to have a problem when people use their body as a means to success, but somehow the mind is a clean and even good tool for success. But the mind can be a tool used just as arrogantly, just as flauntingly, just as wrongly, just as immorally as the body. However the mind somehow gets a free pass. We praise those who can destroy their enemies with point after point absolutely sending a tsunami of rhetorical chaos on an opponent; we love it, it is the sport arena of genius. If it is a free-style battle with beats in the back or a political debate on podiums, it is just as easy to send an audience lusting after the natural talents on display and fully exposed.
The mind, just as the body, can also be used for good things. It truly can be a way of success that is hard working and fascinating without being cut-throat or immoral. Just as a good body can be used for success without defying goodness.

Aside from frustration, Dr. Cameron had no retort to her boss’s question. We, like Dr. Cameron, have failed to see that the mind is just another gift, another thing that we can indeed cultivate but cannot take credit for. But we read, we think, we debate, we write, we expose ourselves to new things! But we do not make the mind work, we only work out the mind that was given us; we only flex the muscles of intellect that already exist.

Are you using your mind, or really anything that is in this world, to honor, to follow, to wonder, to gaze at the God who created it? It should be not surprise that the capabilities of the mind are so grand; why, because God made us to know him and he gave us a tool to begin to know how grand he is; he is the high sea and he gave us the boat to explore; he is the deep blue and gave us the SCUBA gear to glimpse his grandeur. It is hard to become arrogant about a gift given to us freely because the giving nullifies all credit or merit of reception to the one receiving. Friend, with your mind are you exploiting others or exploring the God who made it? Are you arrogant and rude or creative and helpful? Are you worshiping yourself with it or God?