There are a lot of smart people out there, and brilliant Christians have a distinct responsibility to use their God-given gifts for God-honoring purposes. Here’s what you need to know if you have a brilliant mind:
God Gave You Your Mind for a Reason
Every gift comes from God, and to whom much is given, much is required. If you’re super smart, don’t just use that intelligence in the workforce or academia. Use it for God’s purposes as well.
Don’t Only Study the Bible
There’s nothing wrong with studying the Bible, but only studying theology is a waste of time. God’s truth is meant to be lived, not just philosophized. Brilliant Christians can often become theology junkies.
1 Corinthians 13:1-2 If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing.
Use Your Brilliance to Make Disciples
The greatest thing you can do in your life is to help someone pursue God, and mentoring is a great way to accomplish this. Are you brilliant? Look outward and use that gift to help someone else know Jesus in a personal way.
- Watch the video together or invite someone to summarize the topic.
- What is your initial reaction to this video? Do you disagree with any of it? What jumped out at you?
- Who is the most brilliant person you know? How do they use their intelligence?
- When did you first learn that you are smarter than average? Did it change people’s expectations for you? Explain.
- Talk about being a “theology junkie”. Do you know anyone like that? Have you ever fallen into that trap? Explain.
- Who mentored you in the faith, and how did they do it? Who have you helped to pursue God? Who else can you start helping?
- Write a personal action step based on this conversation.
