Bridging the Gap Between Head and Heart

Would you like an easy way to connect “head” and “heart” knowledge?

What can we learn from the early Christians?

The consensus among scholars is that the New Testament, including the gospels and letters, was written in Greek for the early Christian community. This is crucial because the Greek language offers distinct words for ideas we often lump into a single English term. Taking the time to unpack the Greek nuances behind our translated words can unlock a deeper comprehension. If you’re interested in a detailed exploration (or like to “Greek out” as much as I do), leave a comment, and I’ll send you my full article.

Give me an example

In his letter to the Christians in Colossians, Paul uses 3 different Greek words in the same sentence. I have included the Greek word and short definition in brackets.

Colossians 1:9: For this reason since the day we heard [about you], we have not stopped praying for you and asking [God] to fill you with the

knowledge (epignōsin– not just about facts but a personal, intimate acquaintance)
of His will (choice or inclination) in all spiritual

wisdom (sophia – perception, insight, intelligence)
and

understanding, (synesei – a mental putting together.)

The last word is very interesting. The following description is from biblehub.com.

synesei: “a running together, the ability to grasp the interconnectedness of ideas. For the believer, this “connects the dots” through sanctified, inductive reasoning (done under God). Occurs in: Mk 12:23; Lk 2:47; Eph 3:4; Col 1:9,22, 2 Timothy 2:7,

So, how does God help us connect the dots?

Stories.

Yes, stories bring facts, emotions, and experiences to life.

Jesus taught by telling stories. The Bible is one complete story; filled with hundreds of stories of passion and suspense that reveal the character of God as He relates to people.

• The Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15) A son who squanders his inheritance and returns to his father as a servant, but is welcomed back with celebration and a party.
• Peter’s Denial and Restoration (Luke 22:31-34, 54-62): Peter’s story illustrates the transformative power of experiential knowledge. His explicit knowledge of Jesus did not prevent his denial, but the implicit knowledge gained through his failure led to profound transformation.

Telling our stories bridges the gap between the head and the heart

Dr. Todd Hall, a psychologist and Christian speaker, is among the many researchers who show how sharing personal stories is a powerful tool for integrating explicit and implicit memory. He writes in his book “The Connected Life.”

“Through storytelling, individuals not only communicate facts and information about their faith journeys (explicit), but they also convey the emotional and experiential aspects that contribute to a deeper understanding of God’s work in their lives (implicit). Telling your story adds a layer of experiential knowledge to doctrinal understanding.”

My story

Yep, I did it again this month. I let myself get worn out, body and soul. I won’t go into all the nitty-gritty details, but I bet it’s the kind of stuff that wears you down too.

So, there I was, feeling completely drained. I tried all the usual remedies – more rest, slow strolls in the sunshine, worship music, and diving into the Word. But do you know what truly turned the tide? Opening up and telling my story.

Every Tuesday my friend and I share the highs and lows of our week and what we sense God is saying. As I told my story, we laughed and groaned, and suddenly the dots started connecting. I thought my situation was hopeless but talking about it made me see it’s not. The funny thing is, I’m starting to see a silver lining in hitting rock bottom or smacking into a wall. Dr. Tony Evans puts it like this:

“Sometimes God lets you hit rock bottom so that you will discover that He is the rock at the bottom.”

Your turn

Give it a shot. Ask God to connect some dots. Tell a story of something you know in your head and then tell about a recent experience.

Let us know.

Every time we share a story, more dots connect between the knowledge in our heads and the emotions in our hearts. God reveals more of who He is and who we are in Him.