From Head to Heart

A Reflection on the Second Reading for Sunday, February 5th, 2023:
The Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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1 Corinthians
​2:1-5

​When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.

I admit it. I am a cerebral person who likes to be in control. I love lists, being organized, and having a plan. I look for the end goal and figure out what steps I need to take to succeed. For a long time, this helped me in my career. I became known as someone who could get things done and, as a result, received positions with progressively more responsibility.  

I remember someone saying that the longest journey you will ever make is from your head to your heart. This has been true for me in my Christian walk. I have experienced profound examples of the power of God and, within weeks, have compartmentalized them into lofty words so I can share with others, relying on my human wisdom to attempt to draw others to Him. No wonder I consistently experience disappointment when my attempts fail. 

I love that in this reading Paul says, “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ.” For someone who loves to be in control, it is comforting to realize that I can decide to have faith and invite Jesus into every situation. The harder part is remembering that once I have done that, my job is to discern what it is that God wants to accomplish through me, stepping aside to let the Holy Spirit enable that success. I don’t have to use a bunch of graduate-level-words or try to convince others. I simply have to let my life, lived out in faith, stand as the tangible example of His power. For me that means getting out of my head and listening to the small, still voice of my heart. I read recently that what you draw them with is what you draw them to. If I listen to my head, they will be drawn to my humanness – which, frankly, is way too much responsibility for me and certainly will lead them down a wrong path. If I listen to my heart, I can be assured that they will be drawn to God and the path that has been made straight for them. 

My career is now winding down, and recently I was promoted to one of the most senior positions available. The Lord has entrusted me with a place where the decisions I am privileged to be involved in making impact the most vulnerable citizens of our society. He helps me to use the gifts needed to build meaningful relationships between people and create environments where groups that are seemingly at odds with each other can learn to listen respectfully to opposing opinions. He reminds me daily that to do this, I must rest not on human wisdom, but on His power. I still make lists and look for the end goal. At the top of my list these days is the reminder to pray, and to be open to the realization that the end goal may look very different from what I am expecting. Thanks be and all glory to God for that!

Let us pray:
Father God, thank You for Your enduring wisdom and love.  May I always be weak enough to remember that without You, I am and have nothing.  All glory is Yours and Yours alone forever and ever. Amen.




​Sandy Graves

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