“And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.” (Acts 17:11 NLT)
The Bereans are commended here for being open-minded. But it’s interesting to note that they didn’t just listen and blindly believe what they were taught. They studied the Scriptures for themselves. They compared what they were being taught to the Word to see if it lined up. They thought for themselves. Being open-minded doesn’t mean blindly accepting whatever we’re taught. But it does mean we listen. Then, we search and study and pray to arrive at the truth. And true faith isn’t blind or mindless either. It includes this kind thinking and searching and asking. I think that such wrestling with big ideas and questions is part of what it means to have faith. These struggles can increase our faith. We may never know all the answers to all our questions, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t ask.