God is the supreme thinker. He possesses an omniscient quantity and quality of knowledge. He is the intelligent king, architect, economist, and philosopher of creation.

Indeed, he is the expert in every realm of knowledge. He is the ontological genius, savant, virtuoso, and mastermind. He is the unassailable specialist of every kind of intelligence. Moreover, he understands in depth and breadth each realm of knowledge in every language and at each level of development.

He knows how to coordinate means and ends, and cause and effect. His diagnosis and prescription is always correct. He builds whatever he designs, and his ideas always produce positive results. And he embodies intellectual virtue in infinite degree: courage, carefulness, fair-mindedness, curiosity, honesty, and humility are always in evidence as the paradigmatic thinker and doer.

In all these ways, therefore, God was Adam’s intellectual exemplar. He modeled for Adam and Eve how to represent his interests in the garden as apprentice rulers, builders, investors, and thinkers. He wanted his vice-regents to care for, protect, and enlarge his property for his name’s sake and the benefit of his creatures (Gen 1:26‒28).

 So, as you can see, the intellectual capacities that God has given you are very important. As you discover, develop and use them, you advance God’s plan for creation.

But intelligence is multi-faceted. There are various kinds of cognitive abilities and not merely the type measured in standard IQ tests. The psychologist Howard Gardner suggested a nine-fold theory of intelligence:

Naturalistic intelligence: Naturalistic intelligence describes people who are sensitive to the natural world. They enjoy being outside, nurturing and exploring the environment.

 Musical intelligence: People with musical intelligence have an excellent sense of rhythm and the ability to recognize tone and pitch. More often than not they play an instrument or are involved in music as a profession.

Logical–mathematical intelligence: People with this type of intelligence are excellent at maths and working with numbers. They can recognize patterns easily and work out processes in a logical manner.

Existential intelligence: People with high levels of existential intelligence ask questions similar to why are we here? They are often deeply philosophical thinkers and they have the capacity to look for answers to questions bigger than themselves.

Interpersonal intelligence: People with this type of intelligence are often good at reading verbal and non-verbal cues as well as determining temperament and mood. They feel empathy easily. Often this type of intelligence can be found in politicians, social workers, life coaches and psychologists.

 Linguistic intelligence: People with high linguistic intelligence are very good at putting their feelings and thoughts into words in order to make others understand them. They are drawn to activities such as reading, writing and public speaking.

Bodily–kinaesthetic intelligence: People high in bodily–kinesthetic intelligence have an excellent sense of timing and a great mind-body coordination. They are able to use their bodies to convey feelings and ideas and, often take up roles in dance, sports or medicine.

Intra–personal intelligence: Intra-personal intelligence refers to an understanding of oneself and the human condition as a whole. Philosophers, spiritual leaders, psychologist and writers usually have high intra-personal intelligence.

 Spatial intelligence: Spatial intelligence is defined as the ability to consider things in three dimensions. These people can be found in professions such as architecture, design and map reading.

Think about these kinds of intelligence. Discover yours. Embrace it. Nurture it. And use it to God’s glory, mankind’s blessings, and your personal fulfillment.

Recently, I read an informative book called The Secret Body by Daniel M. Davis. One chapter especially interested me―“The Multi-colored Brain.”

He depicted the study of the brain in this way: “The scale of the problem―to understand the human brain―and its importance are second to none in all biology and perhaps all science.” He described the amazing complexity of the brain like this:

A human brain is made up of 86 billion neurons, and each has multitudes of long, thin strands protruding from its main cell body: dendrites for receiving signals and an axon for sending them out. Altogether the 86 billion neurons are connected by around 100 trillion synapses, each allowing messages to move from one cell to another . . . . A complete wiring diagram of the human brain needs about as much data as all the digital content held in the world today.

This comment was particularly noteworthy:

Inside your head is the most complicated object we know of in the universe . . . A small object responsible for all art and culture, the creation of money and bombs, everything humankind has ever done to the planet and the extinction of countless other species―not to mention our personal feelings, memories, dreams and relationships. And perhaps most mysteriously, our sense of self and the experience of making choices.

Clearly, we need to care for and nurture this most precious asset! Our brains are critically important as creatures made in God’s image. And certainly, with respect to our mandate as vice-regents (Gen 1:26‒28), we must bring this “most complicated object” to God. He owns it and we are responsible for its use and development. We are stewards of our brains.

God created a world for intelligent creatures. He made sentient beings with intellectual desire, imagination, and an aspiration for wisdom. Serving God is inconceivable without utilizing the cognitive abilities God gave us.

The Bible shows that we are built for intellectual curiosity. God wants us to ask questions—and to find the answers in revelation. Indeed, God created the whole world as a school in which every experience is an invitation to think and learn. Every aspect of creation, the natural world, ourselves, and our relations is revelatory. All true facts speak to us about God.

God, the great teacher, created human beings as his pupils—in his image with high-capacity brains. Demonstrating our love for God with our minds and then using our growing understanding to bless others are essential. Cogent and pious thinking is a critical aspect of serving God. This involves a process of diligent study, moving from ignorance and illusion to understanding and wisdom.

The Scriptures reveal that mankind is homo adorans (worshiping creatures), created in God’s image, designed to love and serve. We are also thinkers, homo sapiens (thoughtful and self-conscious), homo discens (learners with intellectual curiosity), homo quaerens (questioners, those who wonder), homo imaginans (those who imagine and create), and homo faber (those who build and organize).

All of these wonderful capacities require a brain. As Christians, we must develop our immense intellectual potential―each and every one us, regardless of intellectual capacity and academic achievement. We are all stewards of whatever cognitive potential and educational level we possess.

Let’s bring our beautiful brains to God!

Love God with the Whole Mind: Emerging Scholars and the Quest for Mental Piety