Contemplative Bible Reading

Ephesians 4:17 (New International Version)

So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.

I was struck by this phrase “futility of thinking.” The passage is not speaking of all Gentiles in general, but of a group of them who refused to listen to the Gospel message.

Futile thinking is such that “produces no useful result, is pointless.” There are times when it is fine to think about things that produce no result as not everything we do in life must produce a result.

In this context, however, the pointless thinking is thinking about God, spiritual matters, and eternity. Such are important things to consider and a result is also important.

The passage continues in verse 18:

They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.

Their pointless thinking leads to ignorance or no knowledge. This is not ignorance from lack of opportunity. It is ignorance borne of a stubborn attitude. They simply refuse to listen. Again, their thinking, what little there is, is pointless.

God, thank you for giving us minds to think. Help us always to choose to have soft hearts, to listen, to think towards a useful result, especially on matters of importance involving our relationships with you and with our fellow man.