Is the mind enough?

Do you think that giving should be decided in the mind? That is to say, on the basis of reason and facts alone. Paul’s description of the Macedonian Church in 2 Corinthians 8 and 9 has got me wondering. The Macedonians, rather than begging for money, begged for the opportunity to give it away. They were legendary givers. The kind of people one would like to emulate.

But was their desire to give rational or practical? It would appear not. At the time, the Macedonians were extremely poor and groaning under a severe trial. Surely giving in such circumstances was at best illogical and at worst reckless? Yet Paul, inspired as he was by God, held them up as a role model for the Corinthian Church. Against all odds, these faithful Christians were rich in generosity. And since Paul’s desire was not “that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed”, we must assume that the Macedonians were not “hard pressed” as a result of their giving. In short, they made a Godly decision which continues to inspire us today.

It is has been said that hind sight is 20/20 vision. Looking back, we can see clearly a kind of “kingdom logic” to what the Macedonians did - logic that transcends the normal way of looking at things. “Kingdom logic” says: God enabled the Macedonians to give beyond their ability so that He would be glorified in their giving. Hence “Kingdom logic” may call me to give beyond my ability, beyond what makes sense on the basis of projected income and expenditure. Giving based on such “kingdom logic” seems irrational, but it makes rational sense when we see things from God’s point of view.

At the beginning, I defined decisions of the mind as being based on reason and facts. As we have seen, “Kingdom logic” provides a different basis for our reasoning. Although it might seem unreasonable to a non-believer, it is perfectly logical within a Christian world view. How about basing decisions on facts? Never forget that we seldom, if ever, have all the facts that bear on a decision. Once again, with hindsight, it is apparent that God provided what the Macedonians required to meet their own needs along with something extra for the poor in Jerusalem. But at the time, the Macedonians did not know whether God would come through for them and how He would do it. I wonder whether they had a clear understanding of the “kingdom logic” that under-pinned their decision – probably not. Yet they made a God-glorifying, faith-requiring decision.

Where did the Macedonians make their decision? Paul sheds some light on the subject when he says, “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give” (2 Cor. 9:7). Thus  giving is a decision of the heart rather than the mind. I did some reading to find out more about Paul’s conception of the heart. Dunn explains that in Paul’s writings the heart (kardia) is “the integrating centre of man as a rational, emotional, volitional (having a will) being”. Thus, in the words of Chamblin, “the heart may be enlightened (Eph 1:18); it may experience anguish (2 Cor 2:4); and it is from the heart that one obeys (Rom 6:17)”.

Therefore, the heart integrates or combines rational thinking, emotions and the will in order to help us make a decision about giving. This seems like a far healthier, holistic way of making a decision. Yes, the mind is employed, but we recognise its limitations. We take into account the facts but recognise that we will never have them all. We base our reasoning on “kingdom logic”, bringing to bear Biblical principles and truths but recognising that our reasoning will always have gaps this side of heaven.

The limitations of the mind point to the need for taking into account the evidence of the emotions and will. If we ask God to sanctify our emotions and will, surely they can provide testimony that is as reliable as the mind’s? For example, God may give me excitement or compassion for a particular giving opportunity. Such emotions must be taken into account, even when the mind is saying: “irrational”; “impractical”. Further, we know that God can give us the will to do something (Nehemiah 2:12 is a good example of this). If you pray on a daily basis “thy will be done”, maybe the desire you have to give is from God!

“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give”. The possibilities are exciting - not so?