HEART AND HEAD

I always linger over the prayers the Apostle Paul records in his letters, because they represent his greatest desires for his fellow believers. 

Take a look, for example, at Paul's prayer for the Philippians in 1:9-11 and imagine him praying for YOU what he prayed for them:

"I pray that your LOVE may abound more and more in:

• KNOWLEDGE and
• DEPTH of INSIGHT

SO THAT you ...

• May be able to DISCERN what is BEST and
• May be PURE and BLAMELESS until the day of Christ,

Filled with the FRUIT of RIGHTEOUSNESS

That comes THROUGH Jesus Christ

To the glory and praise of God."

If you were to summarize this prayer in one sentence, it might look like this:

"I pray that your LOVE would grow in KNOWLEDGE so that your RIGHTEOUSNESS would increase."

Even shorter: Heart + Head = Right Actions.

My study Bible plainly states the main takeaway: "Christian love is not mere sentiment; it acts to benefit others on the basis of knowledge and insight."