In M. Night Shyamalan’s film “The Lady In The Water,” one of the characters exercises only one arm. Naturally, the one arm grows in strength while the other hangs limp in comparison. Often times as Christians we only, metaphorically speaking, exercise one arm. We either exercise our mental strength thereby feeding our intellectual desires or we exercise our spiritual strength feeding our supernatural hunger. Rarely is there a modern example of balance in this area. One is usually overtly strong in one area and sadly weak in the other. We need to remember that we need to exercise both aspects of our faith. The Apostle Paul was resolute in ability to share the Gospel engaging the culture of his time while at the same time being enabled by the Spirit of God to preach with power. He had to sow into intellectual knowledge and spiritual empowerment through God's enabling power in order to reap the ability to have such a dynamic ministry.
I often sow more into intellectual studies with my desire to be equipped in apologetics. However, if I neglect my spiritual needs in the process by not seeking after the fullness of the Kingdom of God by spending time with Him and nurturing my heart as well as my head, I will not have anything to offer. To truly give an answer to those who ask the reason for the hope that I have in Christ Jesus, I must rest on Christ and not on intellect. It is by Christ that I can know anything at all and if I forsake that relationship I have no hope to offer. All wisdom comes from Him and without Him all is foolishness.
Conversely, we cannot ignore our minds as Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30).
