Critical Thinking is a Gift!
Recently, I've been struck with the value of critical thinking. It is truly a gift - one that some of us were given in our childhood and one that others of us have to seek in adulthood.
The past few months, my little girl, who is nearly 3 years old, has taken to copying everything I say and do. If I go downstairs, she wants to go downstairs. If I lay down on the floor, she lays down next to me. If I show frustration with her, she shows frustration with me. Not to mention the words that she repeats. Today - it's 65 degrees - absolutely beautiful for March in Colorado. We went outside to play in the backyard ... "oh, it's so nice!", I declared. "oh, it so nite", she repeated after me. This little thing of copying has caused me to think that not only will my little girl grow up acting just like me ... but she will also most likely think like me.
It's a privilege I can raise this little one to be a Christ follower - wholeheartidly devoted to His leading. I pray that her passion for the Word will run deep. However, I don't want her to believe the Bible to say what I tell her it says. I want to teach her to think critically, searching the Scriptures on her own ... seeking God on her own.
So many of us take what our pastors, teachers, parents and friends say about the Bible to be truth. We take their interpretation to be Scripture. When in reality, they are just as fallen as I and they bring their own preconceived ideas to the text.
I pray that God will give me a greater gift of critical thinking, one that I can pass on to my children. Within the gift of critical thinking, I pray for a deep hunger to know His Word and for a devotion to be actively studying for the rest of my life here on this earth.
The past few months, my little girl, who is nearly 3 years old, has taken to copying everything I say and do. If I go downstairs, she wants to go downstairs. If I lay down on the floor, she lays down next to me. If I show frustration with her, she shows frustration with me. Not to mention the words that she repeats. Today - it's 65 degrees - absolutely beautiful for March in Colorado. We went outside to play in the backyard ... "oh, it's so nice!", I declared. "oh, it so nite", she repeated after me. This little thing of copying has caused me to think that not only will my little girl grow up acting just like me ... but she will also most likely think like me.
It's a privilege I can raise this little one to be a Christ follower - wholeheartidly devoted to His leading. I pray that her passion for the Word will run deep. However, I don't want her to believe the Bible to say what I tell her it says. I want to teach her to think critically, searching the Scriptures on her own ... seeking God on her own.
So many of us take what our pastors, teachers, parents and friends say about the Bible to be truth. We take their interpretation to be Scripture. When in reality, they are just as fallen as I and they bring their own preconceived ideas to the text.
I pray that God will give me a greater gift of critical thinking, one that I can pass on to my children. Within the gift of critical thinking, I pray for a deep hunger to know His Word and for a devotion to be actively studying for the rest of my life here on this earth.
posted by Lisa Stucky at 1:14 PM
2 Comments:
It's a sobering thing having these little imitators. I look at their bad behavior with such frustration sometimes until it dawned on me that they learned it from somewhere. Oops. That hurts. I am glad God's grace is sufficient for them too and His power is made perfect in my weakness. You are right. It is a privilege to have the chance to teach them to think. There are days the reality of what that looks like in my house is more critical than thinking. Oh well.
it's amazing how looking at our kids is like looking in the mirror! Just like that... I see myself, the good, the bad and the ugly.
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