Luke 10:27

“...Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind...”

Psalm 90:12

“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

Yogi Berra once said, “Baseball is 90% mental and the other half is physical.” While Yogi’s math might be a little off, he is right on target with the importance of training the mind.

Our Creator knows the power of the mind more than anyone. In fact, while many people try to separate the mind and the body, the Hebrew culture kept them closely tied together. From the very beginning, God challenged Adam’s intellect – (imagine being tasked with naming all of the animals!) – and He teaches constantly through His Word that the pursuit of wisdom is a vital part of the Christian walk. Maybe that’s why some of the greatest thinkers and scientists of the Renaissance were strong Christians, and they saw a strong tie between their pursuit of God and their pursuit of understanding His creation.

As we strive to use our bodies for God’s glory, it is important that we never underestimate or neglect our minds, it’s importance cannot be overstated. I remember my days in college when I used to run. There were so many days when my body wanted to quit – I felt cramps in my ribs, fire in my lungs, and heaviness in my legs. I just wanted to sit down and rest but in those moments, my mind trumped my limbs. If I focused on the finish line and consciously remembered my purpose and goal, I could keep my legs moving. There was a definite connection between my mind and my body.

The same is true for us. We must keep our minds sharp, pushing to understand more and more about God’s principles and character. If we can do that, we can keep our legs moving as we go through this world.

Read Luke 2:52 in your Bible. What does this verse teach about Jesus? Where does the mind fit into this?

Write a paragraph reflecting on Luke 2:52. Is it possible to grow unbalanced? Luke most likely wrote this verse having interviewed Mary (Jesus’ mother). Read the context of verse 52 from 41-52 as you form your thoughts on growing “in wisdom and stature [ body ], and in favor with God and man.”