Spiritual PathwaysSample

Intellect & Serving

This week, we are exploring various ways men can connect with God. While we know that Jesus is the only way to the Father (John 14:4-6), we also know that God has wired us all differently, and different men connect with God in various ways.

One spiritual pathway is called the “Intellect” pathway or the “Study” pathway (Proverbs 4:7). These are men who feel closest to God when they are learning.

Men like this believe strongly that we are to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind…” (Mark 12:30). The pursuit of truth and understanding is crucial to the spiritual journey and men like this live for “light bulb” moments of revelation and understanding when digging into God’s Word. They tend to enjoy reading, sermons, bible studies, courses, and any place to stretch their brains. They like to debate and discuss ideas, having conversations about the meaning and interpretation of the Word.

King Solomon was a good biblical example of an Intellect—hungry for more knowledge and learning and letting that hunger spill over into every area of life.

A different pathway is called the “Serving” pathway (Galatians 5:13). Men on this pathway feel closest to the Lord when helping others.

Often shunning the spotlight and preferring to be behind the scenes, men on the Serving pathway come alive when they are meeting the needs of others. They tend to be active, happy to help, and eager to come alongside others’ needs, big or small. They take great satisfaction in completing tasks that make others’ lives easier or better and often avoid any acknowledgment or thanks for what they’ve done.

Jesus came and served others, even scrubbing feet (John 13:14-15). Servant-pathway men love this example and seek to be like Jesus in this way, feeling close to Him as they do.

We are all called to learn and serve, of course, but some men will feel particularly close to God when they do. If either of these pathways rings true, you should unapologetically seek the Lord in these ways, drawing close to Him and allowing Him to refresh your soul through these actions.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for the brain that You gave me to learn and the hands that You gave me to serve! Help me to use both for Your glory and for the good of others. Amen.

Reflection: Experiment with these two pathways today and see what happens—find a place to learn and find a place to serve someone else!