The Narrow Path Ministries

I've heard the saying at times given "You're so heavenly minded that you're of no earthly good." Is this true, valid?

What do you think is meant by "heavenly minded?"

I know people that cannot carry on a conversation about anything but the Bible. So, yeah, possible.

In my experience, that statement is usually made by those who are too earthly-minded to be of any heavenly good.

Several times, I've heard the expression, "He's so heavenly minded, he's no earthly good."

I think it means that he is always praying, reading the Bible, or talking about spiritual things, but never does anything practical to help other people.

I suppose that "heavenly minded" is being equated with "interested in theology". If so, then what MMathis and Paidion wrote could be true in many cases.

But actually, I think it's a mistake to equate those things. There are Non-Christians who are very interested in Christian theology, even devoting their careers to it, and it does them no good.

A person is a Christian or he or she isn't. If he is, then who cares about his theology as long as he produces more and more fruit of the Spirit, which will certainly bring real "earthly good". To be consistently "of no earthly good" could never be a result of being really heavenly-minded, imo. I like backwoodsman's formulation, which is the right perspective, imo.

I posted this question on Facebook too, to a few of my Christian buddies, and I like what one replied:

I would change it slightly "If one is truly heavenly minded, one becomes of earthly good."

I do meet people who turn every topic into a conversation with supernatural ramifications.Example:

ME: "My neighbor's cat got stuck up a tree."
THEM: "Oh, Satan's at it again. We need to pray against the cosmic and spiritual forces that are attacking our neighborhood's felines. Let us approach the throne of grace and intercede on Smokey the cat's behalf..."

Maybe I exaggerate, but I think those people are really motivated by pride, 'See how holy I am,' and not by a genuine knowledge and oneness with the vine, the light, of Jesus. I do agree with kind of the theme of this thread, and the quote from my friend, that a true person who, "Knows nothing but Christ and Him crucified," and keeps their mind on "whatever is pure, good, true, noble... etc" is one that will be of ultimate earthly good, because I believe God predestines us to be conformed to the image of Jesus (Rom 8:29), being Jesus to the world.

I think we need to understand the mindset of the person who says, "He's so heavenly minded, he's no earthly good!"

WHY does the person say that? Maybe he has requested help from the "heavenly minded" one, and all he ever got was a sermon. The "heavenly minded" one urged him to "accept Christ as his personal Saviour," and implied that if he did that his problems would be solved. Yet, he did not lift a finger to give any practical help to the needy one.

I think the apostle James addressed the problem:

If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? (James 2: 15,16 ESV)

Just ran across this from Tozer that's germane to the question:

"We have heard repeated often the dull and rather sickly humorous saying that some persons are so heavenly-minded that they are no earthly good. Ignoring for the moment that this remark is usually no more than a flimsy justification for weakness and worldliness on the part of the one who utters it, we will yet grant it a sincerity we are pretty sure it does not possess and dignify it by a reply.

"The simple truth is that the most heavenly-minded Christians have been consistently the ones most active in doing good to all men. Many of the great saints of past times who are today written off by the don't-be-too-heavenly-minded school as impractical mystics were in reality amazingly earth-wise and skillful in their approach to matters of business; and they used their remarkable abilities to bring material and bodily help to thousands. It has been true almost without exception that the most devoted Christians who spent the most time in pursuit of God were those who made the greatest impression on their generation and altered for the better the moral standards and social habits of their times."

--A.W. Tozer, The Alliance Weekly, 12-9-1953