Discovering Yourself: You Have a Soul – Intellect

“For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. (1st Corinthians 2:16)

Ronald Reagan once opined, “There are no constraints on the human mind, no walls around the human spirit, no barriers to our progress except those we ourselves erect.” One aspect of the human soul we can erect barriers or set constraints is the intellect or mind. There is no limit to our reasoning, thinking, and understanding the world around us. The intellect is often described as the highest faculty of the human soul, responsible for abstract thought, reasoning, and intellectual intuition. The intellect, as part of the soul, is also believed to be the source of human creativity and innovation. It allows us to imagine new possibilities, to challenge existing paradigms, and to create works of art, literature, and science that reflect the depths of our understanding (See Exodus 31:1-11). Ezra Cornell said, “Idleness is to the human mind like rust to iron.” Therefore, when we continuously engage our minds productively, we can transform our lives and the society.

The intellect performs several vital functions, including enabling us to reason (See Luke 15:17-18), to draw conclusions from premises, and to evaluate evidence. It allows us to grasp the meaning of things, to understand the relationships between concepts, and to intuit the underlying principles of reality (See Daniel 9:2) while enabling us to contemplate the mysteries of existence, to reflect on the human condition, and to seek wisdom.

It is through the intellect that we are able to pursue knowledge, to seek understanding, and to discover truth; reflect on our experiences, to learn from our mistakes, and to cultivate wisdom and achieve spiritual growth. A Christian believer is one who has the mind of Christ – thinking, reasoning and understanding like Christ by reason of the rebirth (1 Corinthians 2:16). It is our responsibility to transform our minds and lives by accepting Jesus Christ and feeding daily on His Word (See Romans 12:2).

By Sunday Omori