When you get right down to it, there are only two types of minds: open and closed.
A closed mind is like a cake that’s baked. It’s done. Apart from the frosting, there isn’t anything else to add. A closed mind believes there is an answer for everything. Even if it doesn’t know the answer, it knows there is one, and someone else can find it if they want to. For this reason, a closed mind has little need for questions; it’s all about answers. You can’t really discuss anything with a closed mind; you can only agree or disagree.
A closed mind doesn’t give much importance to process; it’s all about conclusions. When a closed mind tries to influence someone with what it believes, it finds it necessary to clear the table of whatever it is the other person currently embraces in order to have them adopt whole-heartedly what it believes.
When a closed mind goes to school or any kind of class or teaching session, it is only going to confirm what it already knows.
A closed mind has to defend what it believes at all cost, because if someone can prove it wrong, then the whole system of operation falls apart, but, of course, this will never happen because a closed mind can never be wrong.
An open mind is on a journey. It is in process and because of this, it will not arrive at ultimate truth until it is united with its Creator upon leaving this world. Because an open mind believes all will be fully known someday, it is able to live with lots of ambiguity in the meantime. An open mind finds that faith is a huge necessity because of what it doesn’t know or can’t understand now. An open mind doesn’t find security in answers, but in the God who ultimately stands behind all questions. For this reason, an open mind welcomes questions because of the opportunity to find God again.
An open-minded Christian believes that Jesus is the answer but that only means that questions ultimately lead to a deeper understanding of why He is. This is why in spite of knowing Christ; an open mind can sing along with U2, “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.”
When an open mind wants to influence someone with what it believes, it does a lot of listening. It wants to get as much out on the table as possible. And then, instead of clearing it as the closed mind does, it finds what it can connect with on the table. It finds what’s useful in moving someone on in the process of seeking truth.
John Fischer The Catch 
This is one of the best (or at least my favorite) things you have written.
I’ve said often we should have more questions than answers and God is big enough to handle the questions. He can even handle it when we are wrong.
Good stuff.
Great message which I wanted to share on Facebook but I can’t find a way of doing this anymore. Is there a reason for that or just a blip in the system? I noticed it a few days ago when there was something else I wanted to share.
Thanks for all your helpful insights.
God bless you and all your readers.
Linda.
and this will be a good thing to c on Facebook.
I always enjoy your thought provoking messages. I forwarded to a friend today, and thought I’d share his comments to me. I think he stated my thoughts as well. Maybe by determining that open-minded thinking is the only way, we become closed minded. That’s one of the things that has stalked me since my fundamentalist upbringing “All or nothing thinking”, and it’s funny how it can pervade our thought process even when we think we’re being open-minded. He said:
“Thanks for sharing Fischer’s devotional. He’s right about the differences and I suppose we all have some of each; but the dominate characteristic is mainly one or the other. Although the closed minded person is problematic for helping organizations to make progress they do provide a helpful anchor for the open minded person’s continual next new thing — which, while progressive, also often throws unnecessary confusion into an organization as his open-mindedness goes every which way. God seems to have created both types for His purpose, so if each will seek first the kingdom of God then they may be of great encouragement to one another.”
Not sure these are personality types as much as mind sets.
Funny–I was thinking the same thing: Am I being closed-minded by thinking that it would be so much easier/better if everyone were open-minded?
I think you can be generally open-minded and still have convictions about certain things. The secret may be not imposing your views on everyone else.
March 10
Is it as simple as open mind-closed mind? Yes-No? Closed you are doomed? Would Love in Jesus Christ be the grey area? Break the closed minded or let them go? Maybe I missed the whole point. In Jesus we live, Dwight
These are stereotypes. No one is fully one or the other. But by painting these extremes we can more readily see where we may be closed down instead of open.
Again I loved today’s Catch. I once heard it, about an open mind, put this way: the mind is similar to a parachute in it doesn’t work well, when you need it, unless its opened.
This is wonderful! Thank you, John and Marti for being a big part of my growth process!
“An open-minded Christian believes that Jesus is the answer but that only means that questions ultimately lead to a deeper understanding of why He is. “Wonderful statement”! One, of many thoughts that crossed my mind while reading this post was the importance and the blessing of sharing fresh, current testimonies of how Jesus, “The Lamb of God Who Takes Away the Sin Of The World”, THE ANSWER, is cleansing me/us of the many sins that happen daily, hourly or minutely, if that were a word! Revelation 12:11 comes to mind,”And they overcme him ( the accuser) by the blood of The Lamb and by the word of their testimony” Sanctification is a process/journey, the ground is level at the foot of the cross, For God so loved, that He gave, and gives and gives and gives, bring on the questions!
Yes, faith is a journey to be enjoyed, not a destination to be reached.
Short after my faith in God/Jesus comes my faith in mankind’s stupidity. I understand that this sounds rude, but if the truth was so easy for mankind to understand then we would already have done so. This is also why I believe that it is of great importance for any believer to maintain a balance between faith in God/Jesus and between a lack of faith in one’s own ability to fully understand God’s given truth. Faith in God/Jesus is necessary, because it is the basis for everything. Without it we would be drifting in a sea of doubts. Questioning our own faith is also important though, because it keeps us open for new answers, answers that might be considerably better than the answers we currently have.
Without the will, without the ability to ask questions “faith” is just as much in danger of becoming stagnant as science. In this sense I must say that Christians can actually learn a lot from secular scientists when it comes to asking questions. Real scientists are always willing to ask questions, even uncomfortable questions, and the same should be true for Christians. The truth does not have to fear any question at all, and God IS the truth. We may not understand all aspects of God’s truth, and we may even question things that we have already understood correctly, but frankly: So what? God’s truth will surely survive our questions.
Excellent–guilty as charged. In the attempt to “win” the debate I have been more eager to clear the table than to set the table. Setting the table affords me the opportunity to host a discussion rather than execute a debate. I guess there was a reason Jesus ate with sinners and debated Pharisees–one set of minds might have been more open and ready to hear the truth.
Good one!
What a wonderful “word picture”–setting vs. clearing the table. You set the table at the beginning of the meal and clear it at the end. Seems to me the end of the meal doesn’t come until we get to heaven, and maybe not even then…
This is one of your best columns. I try to remember that God is not offended by my questions if I am really searching for His truth. I may be offended when someone challenges my faith or beliefs but God is WAY more understanding than me. God is still trying to teach me many truths but I won’t understand everything until I leave this world to be with Him, so I want to present myself as open instead of as a closed know-it-all.
Thanks for this reminder…
One thing, I think related, that I have been considering lately is that Evangelical Christians (whatever that means) often are in a dilemma between loyalty to Christ and complete honesty. It could be that we make loyalty to God synonymous with loyalty to a certain knowledge about Him and certain precepts. For instance when confronted with an argument that certain parts of the Bible may not be inerrant as we define it we are faced with that dilemma in the deepest part of our hearts. Do we truly consider that we might be wrong (honesty) or do we argue or pretend to be honest, by acting civil, while not truly being honest (loyalty). It’s a nagging question especially when we live in a world that is shrinking and we find that a lot of people don’t think just like we do.
Yes, God is so much bigger than all of that knowledge and all of those precepts. We try to make Him into our image of what/who we think He is, when we should be allowing Him to make/re-make us in His image.
A very thought provoking post, as well as interesting comments.
I used to be a closed minded person. All scriptural interpretations were my way or the highway. Five years ago I started to write skits for sunday school lessons. Before I began writing my prayer was, “Holy Spirit give me something fresh and new”.
That is exactly what happened. It is amazing! This caused a shift in my thinking. here it is.
I am a creative being on an adventure of life. I know some of what will happen but just enough to keep me guessing and wondering, this keeps me eagerly anticipating. Jesus is my Lord and Savior, everything else is opinion. Opinion is not a mind set, it changes for the better if you let it. An adventurer looks eagerly forward to what lies ahead. He knows that it could be wonderful or incredibly difficult, in fact his life could be in danger. He is undaunted because he has rock faith in the living God to see him through his circumstances. Each experience builds that rock firm faith to be stronger and God does that in such creative ways that it feeds my adventuresome spirit. My faith is built in the halls of eternity but creatively deals with the present realities.
Even this is not written in stone, but my enthusiasm is high as to what is next. God give me something fresh and new in my life everyday! I can hardly wait. The willingness to continue the adventure is in the joy of the growing relationship with my God.
Thank you, John, for these thoughts which resonated with me today. Similar feelings have been flowing in my mind for a while. I was comforted/affirmed/encouraged by your words about journey, process and ambiguity. Somehow I’ve felt those things as doubt, questions and uncertainty. Greg, I hear you about ‘complete honesty’ in the ‘evangelical church.’ I haven’t felt sure it’s OK to have an open mind with fresh air and fresh thoughts flowing through…or at least I’ve wondered if I am alone in that place. Thanks, John, for letting us open the windows.