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December 2021
A two page family/ministry newsletter. It includes some photos.
Recently I discovered Thomas Cranmer, an Archbishop of Canterbury who lived about 500 years ago. He was a reformer. Also a good observer and good thinker. Sadly, he was called an heretic and burnt at the stake.
What I found interesting was his insight into our human nature. In short, he concluded that: “What the heart loves, the will chooses, and the mind justifies.” Cranmer noticed that it is usually our heart and not our mind that directs our choices. We then use our mind to justify what we desire and choose. Our mind is actually captive to what our will wants, and our will itself, in turn, is captive to what our heart wants.
Cranmer concluded that good theology and good reasons are not strong enough to change a person. First the heart much chance. And the heart only changes when moved by a stronger love. In short, new birth must precede new life. In Paul’s words, “the love of Christ constrains [compels, controls] us” (2 Cor 5:14).
A while back, Tim Keller tweeted something similar: “What the heart most wants, the mind finds reasonable, the emotions find valuable, and the will finds doable.”
What do your and my heart most want?
