We Are Thinkers

Blaise Pascal was a seventeenth century French philosopher. Among other things, he is famous for his book, ‘Pensées’, which translates, ‘Thoughts’.

In it, he describes humanity as a ‘thinking reed’. It’s a brilliant description of both our strength and our weakness.

On the one hand, we are created in the image of a thinking God, with an ability to reason which sets us apart from the rest of creation; our thinking is a God-given strength which should be used to its greatest advantage.

On the other hand, we are a vulnerable reed – easily broken and easily swayed.

We can be, as Paul warns, “…tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching…” (Ephesians 4:14) (a warning which must be heeded in our social media influenced world).

As a ‘thinking reed’, our thoughts can lead us toward God or away from Him, toward hope or into despair.

Our thoughts can be our deliverers or our deceivers.

As a result, Pascal concluded, “Let us then strive to think well”.

But how do we do that?

How do we harness the strength of our thinking?

How do we guard against the frailty of our thoughts?

How do we think for the glory of God?

Robert