What Scripture Teaches Us About Glorifying God Through Our Cognitive Experiences

1 Thessalonians 5:17- pray without ceasing

Since we are using our cognitive functions anytime we engage our minds in something, we can use the functions to our advantage when we engage in continuous, unceasing prayer, surrendered to the Lord's will. We can thus engage in continuous prayer by…

Se: …praying to God to handle the present moment however He desires to

Si: …praying to God to do something that He's done before, if He wills

Ne: …praying to God to help you stay open to all the possible options He wants you to explore

Ni: …praying to God to help you achieve the future you are aiming for, if it is in His will

Te: …praying to God to help you accomplish success and productivity in the works He calls you to do

Ti: …praying to God to help you figure out the reasons and truths He wants to reveal to you

Fe: …praying to God to help others feel uplifted and joyful in Him

Fi: …praying to God to keep you passionate for Him

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1 Corinthians 13:4-8- Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends.

How we can use each of the functions to demonstrate the love of Christ to others:

Se- give others a wholesome experience

Si- organize a schedule of things to do with others

Ne- explore new places/ideas with others

Ni- help others make progress toward a meaningful future

Te- help others accomplish something useful and productive

Ti- learn more about others

Fe- help others feel valued

Fi- be authentically passionate about helping others

Furthermore, Christ's love is sacrificial. Therefore, demonstrating the love of Christ to others not only involves using our dominant functions that come most easily to us, but also involves making sacrifices to use functions that are not as easy for us to use. Often, this involves making the sacrifices to use the inferior ends of our functions:

Se- refrain from overactive, chaotic behavior to invest in long-term Ni plans with someone

Si- break out of the routine to try new Ne things with someone

Ne- put in the effort to be Si-disciplined to stick to a routine with someone

Ni- be flexible with future plans to accommodate random Se chaos others may bring up

Te- be lenient with demands/expectations of others to show Fi fondness for others

Ti- share analytical perspectives with others in an attempt to Fe-encourage them

Fe- refrain from impressing others in order to logically connect over shared Ti beliefs

Fi- be less stubborn about doing whatever feels good in order to do Te-service work for others

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2 Corinthians 1:3-4- Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

God can bring us comfort by giving each of our cognitive functions the reward that each one seeks to attain:

Se: action

Si: familiarity

Ne: opportunity

Ni: purpose

Te: productivity

Ti: intellect

Fe: harmony

Fi: enjoyment

And even when we don’t have these things, He will still be the ultimate provider of comfort. Only He can fill in the voids we have, which cannot be filled by our cognition alone.

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James 1:5- If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him

God can give us the wisdom to…

- Se: know how to live in the moment without compromising future goals

- Ni: know how to plan for the future without failing to address immediate needs

- Si: know how to adhere to the same standards without being averse to change

- Ne: know how to explore different options without being aimless

- Te: know how to be productive without neglecting personal passions

- Fi: know how to handle your emotions so you aren't averse to work

- Fe: know how to cultivate harmony with others without being inauthentic

- Ti: know how to seek the truth without offending others

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Trust in God to handle the Ni for your future, and He will give you the strength to handle the Se challenges along the way.

Jeremiah 29:11- For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

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Ecclesiastes 4:9-10- Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.

This is a great reminder about how God can call us to help others:

Te = ...by helping them solve their problems

Ti = ...by understanding why they are struggling

Fe = ...by emotionally supporting them

Fi = ...by being motivated to help

Se = ...by doing a variety of new tasks for others to have a great experience

Si = ...by routinely helping others gain stability

Ne = ...by exploring ways to help others expand their options

Ni = ...by devising a plan to help others move forward

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The judging functions can help us develop personal joy and understanding of our experiences with Christ, so that we can have our own personal testimonies to share with the rest of the world-

Matthew 28:19- Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Te: teaching others about the gospel and why they should come to Christ

Fe: encouraging others to come to Christ

Acts 22:15- for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard.

Fi: personally experiencing the joy that comes from having our identities in Christ

Ti: personally understanding the wisdom and knowledge Christ reveals to us as we follow His guidance

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Helpful sources:

The Pursuit of Self-Realization | Pastor Tony Chung | Jubilee Seoul - YouTube - Jubilee Church sermon

The Pursuit Of Health | Sam Lopez | Hillsong California - YouTube - Hillsong Church Sermon

Doctors for Christ - YouTube