You might have heard the famous quote: “The longest journey you will ever take is the 18 inches from your head to your heart.” 18 inches doesn’t seem that far. We can cover that distance in one swift step with our feet. Many of our pets are about that length, and we can run our hands over their soft backs in a matter of seconds.
Somehow, though, letting what we know to be true in our minds settle into our hearts tends to be more complicated.
God’s Word is for the head and the heart. We’re called to “love the Lord with all our heart and all our mind” (Matt 22:37.) God’s Word is supposed to be “kept in our hearts” and “bound to our minds” (Deut 11:18.)
A mixture of both head knowledge and heart reception, faith forges a bond over that 18-inch gap. Faith uses what we believe in our minds to move our hearts. Set to the rhythms of the heart, our thoughts grow steady and purposeful. The connection faith makes between the head and the heart is part of the fullness we find when we place our faith in Christ alone.