By: G.E. Watkins

The popular children’s song depicts the familiar illustration by Jesus in Matthew 7:24-27 of the Sermon on the Mount. Two men were building houses – a wise man and a foolish man. The difference between them: One heard the teachings of Jesus and did them, while the other heard them, and did not do them (Matt. 7:24, 26). Consider, for a moment, the things that a truly wise man does in building his spiritual house:

By: Kevin Cauley

In addition to our reason, conscience, and will, we have emotions. They are numerous and powerful. Emotions can take us to dizzying heights of ecstasy, and they can bring us down to the depths of despair. Emotions have a role to play in the human psyche. Good emotions result from doing well. Bad emotions come from doing wrong. Emotions also move us one way or the other to take action.

Happiness, sadness, love, hate, anxiety, contentment: these are all emotions that we may experience and there are many more. Emotions are so powerful that many confuse them with God’s acting in their life. God can certainly use our emotions, but feelings come from our own bodies and are the result of the beliefs that we hold in our hearts, the actions we take, and the responses of others.

When all four parts of our psyche work together—reason, conscience, will, and emotion—we can experience strong urges and have powerful experiences. It is easy to be confused and believe that we are experiencing something that we are not actually experiencing. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, ​​and desperately wicked; ​​Who can know it?” It is easy to deceive ourselves and attribute our experiences to something else.

 We credit God with creating us with such wonderful mental faculties that, when used correctly, will lead us to faith in Him. We also credit the Holy Spirit for inspiring the Bible, the only source of inspired information upon which we can base many life decisions.

When the Christian uses these resources correctly, God/the Holy Spirit leads the Christian’s life. However, let’s not conclude that the “little voices” of reason, conscience, will, or emotion are the Holy Spirit speaking directly to us. Today, God speaks to us through His Word, the Bible.

By: Kevin Cauley

Many people view the inner workings of their mind like the Wizard of Oz: “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.” God, however, has created man with unique mental faculties. We have a reasoning mind, conscience, will, and emotions. Each of these aspects of the human psyche operates together to make us a functioning human being, and we need to give attention to them.

Sometimes we hear the voice of reason. We need that voice when we are studying for an exam or trying to get a certification for a job. God also appeals to our reason (Isaiah 1:8) when trying to convince us of our need for repentance and salvation. We must use our reason to study God’s word and evaluate our own lives in relationship to it (2 Timothy 2:15).

At other times our conscience speaks to us. When we have done something wrong, that “little voice” in our head condemns us for what we have done. The conscience is part of God’s design, and it is there to either approve our actions or accuse us of wrong (Romans 2:15). The conscience is a powerful part of our psyche. We must listen to our conscience (Romans 14:23).

Another part of the psyche is the will. When we need to do something—and it must be done—people talk about making themselves do it. That “small voice” may be saying, “Let’s do this! Get going! You’ve got this!” The human will is a powerful force that moves us to action. John 7:17 says that we will to do God’s will. We must use our will to serve the Lord by having self-control (2 Peter 1:6).

By: Kevin Cauley

First Peter addresses those who have been scattered abroad by persecution, and particularly those who have been born again through the redemption of the blood of Christ, struggling to be faithful. Peter encourages them to stand steadfast and remain faithful even in adverse situations. In chapter two, Peter calls attention to the fact that these Christians, through their new birth, have left behind the things of the world, malice, guile, hypocrisy, envy, and evil speaking. He encourages these Christians to drink the honest milk of the word so that they can grow in their faith. If they continue to grow, they will be part of the spiritual house of God as living stones. Their edification is based upon the foundation of Christ, and their acknowledgement of His preciousness.

When we think of the word “precious,” we think of something that has inherent value, worth, is highly prized, and rarely obtained. In the movie and book series, “The Lord of the Rings,” those who are taken with the “one ring” often refer to it as “precious.” The devotion that these characters display to the ring reflects their servitude and misguided zeal toward it. When speaking the word “precious” (regarding the ring), they reveal love, devotion, zeal, and jealousy. While the ring represents something evil, do we have the same love, devotion, and zeal toward that which we know is good?

The Bible says that Jesus is precious to us who are born again to righteousness, edification, and sanctification. In 1 Peter 2:7 we have this statement, “Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious.” Is Jesus precious to you? Do you value Him like you would value your most prized possession?