Heavenly Minded. Earthly Brilliant.

by Nannette Foster

“Some people are so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good.”  - attributed to Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.

Have you heard this quote? Maybe you’ve even used it (zero judgement here!)

Laced throughout my church background are versions of this familiar saying. Usually it’s phrased as a warning, “Don’t be so heavenly minded that you are no earthly good.” 

At first glance, this pithy saying seems like wisdom. Catchy. Sobering. Convincing.

It’s also straight crap. 

Good intentioned crap, but crap nonetheless. (Don’t tell my 8yr old I said “crap” three times in a row. Oh wait, make that four.) 

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” - Colossians 3:2

Need I say more? Maybe not, but this is a blog...so...onward!

As followers of Jesus we walk this earth as ambassador aliens. (2 Corinthians 5:20, 1 Peter 2:11) 

Sounds pretty out there, right?🛸 Remember that alien means foreigner. We are citizens of Heaven sent as ambassadors to the earth. Think temporary residents on work visas.

Do we want to be relevant? Sure! 

Where I live in Kodiak, Alaska, we host gobs of seasonal workers. If someone comes to our island complaining constantly about the rain and how much they miss Target, the locals will roll their eyes and bless them back to the mainland. 

In this illustration, the unwillingness to engage fruitfully in the place they have been sent may point to heavenly-mindedness as the culprit. But I want to submit this important distinction:

Escapism isn’t Heaven culture.

Religious mentality fights or flees. The Kingdom that Jesus preached (Heaven mindset) infiltrates the dark places to flood them with light! 

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden...let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” - Matthew 5:14-16

Let's imagine a different scenario.

An engineer comes in to upgrade the electric power in Kodiak to a higher state of efficiency. She misses her homeland, but remains focused on the mission. Frequent calls to her home and headquarters keep her motivated and on track. She makes time to connect with residents while she is here, and with the land itself. Her love for this place and people only amplifies the service she brings. It doesn’t matter what she wears or what accent she has, the locals are begging her to stay!

Heavenly minded. Earthly brilliant. 

(Note on my use of the word "mantra", a term used in Hinduism and Buddhism. More coming soon. For now, I'll share that the English equivalent of this word is declaration. Among Jesus-followers, declaration is used to describe a personalized statement containing spiritual truth based on scripture.)

In the Intuitive Daughters of God movement, we flip the original saying on its head with this truth...say it with me:

I am so heavenly minded that I am earthly brilliant!

 

...So how do you set your mind on things above?

For starters you can take this challenge!

Breakthrough Challenge

1. Commit to dialog journal for 7 days.

2. Each morning grab your journal and talk with God, pouring out your heart. Then ask what is on his heart. You may "hear" words in your mind, feel feelings, or see images in your mind's eye. Write down what comes. 

Accepting this challenge will open your receptors and activate an attentiveness to the mindset of Heaven. 

Remember...You are incredibly brilliant, wildly intelligent, and intuitive by design. Your world needs the light only you carry. So keep your head in the clouds and your feet on the ground.

We want to hear from you! Comment below 🫶