In my ideal world I’d be a perfect balance of head and heart.
Apparently, in God’s ideal world that’s not the case. My God-given “lead card” is definitely the mind.
How about you? What’s your lead card — mind or emotion?
I think the point is that we should seek to be well-rounded people of both intellect and feeling, but most of us will lean one way or the other.
Rare is the person who’s equally both.
Three conclusions:
1. I ought to accept the profile given me by God. My 60/40 mind/heart combo is no better or worse than any other. 50/50, for example, is not necessarily an ideal to be sought.
2. I should value the “other.” Part of serving in the body of Christ is learning to value people different than myself — those more emotional than me, for example.
3. I should pay attention to my weaker side. My being mainly rational doesn’t excuse me from working on the affective side of things.
A certain pal of mine, Pastor Jonna Fantz, embodies “high feeler” (her lead card) with “high intellect.” A fine model for me and all who know her.
Jonna is “Outreach and Community Life” pastor at Salem Covenant Church, New Brighton, MN.
Rick,
Thanks for this good reminder. I often am frustrated that I tend to lead emotionally and have worked so much of my life to push the rational forward more to take charge of the emotions. There is certainly benefit to developing both your thinking and feeling sides, so I'm not sorry for working on being rational. But I sometimes disparage my emotional side and wish for something different. I appreciate your perspective on having a healthy appreciation for what you are like while acknowledging the value of others having a different weighting of the two sides.
Hi Marlis, Sometimes in the pre-marriage counseling I perform, the wife-to-be feels pressured to be more rational, less emotional. Just like you're suggesting, I ask her to consider that God has created her a certain way and that she should embrace it.
Interestingly, when it's the other way around — when the woman is more rational than the guy — he doesn't usually feel pressured to be like her.