"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise,
dwell on these things." - Phil 4:8
The battle for the heart and the mind is won by disciplining our thoughts.
And the news is good. While we must be aware of - so that we can be in prayer regarding - the evil things going on all around us, we are here commanded a great gift: that the majority of our thoughts should surround wonderful true and beautiful things. This is fitting, because ultimately this "gold" is all that will be left when the judgement of our God and Lord and Savior Jesus Christ throws out the "dross" of all of the horrible, evil things that can be thought about in the world as we know it today.
Nothing is benefitted by my dwelling on what is terrible in the world; it doesn’t hasten God’s timing for that day when all things will be made right. Allowing my mental and spiritual posture to be a wagging of the head over all that is wrong isn’t prayer, and it has the very negative effect of discouraging me, when, by faith I should be full of joy, and not based on my head being in the sand but on reality. Jesus Himself told the disciples and, in so doing, all of us who believe:
"In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer,
I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)
Paul's exhortation (instruction with encouragement) starts out with:
"Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say rejoice!
Let your gentle spirit be known to all men; the Lord is near.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
Then, comes the Rx: Let your mind dwell (linger, meditate on, savor) what is:
TRUE
HONORABLE
RIGHT
PURE
LOVELY
OF GOOD REPUTATION
EXCELLENT
WORTHY OF PRAISE
Paul, who is giving this instruction, was surrounded by evil and living under the temporary, superficial control of evil through imprisonment, beatings, many persecutions, but he did not let his thoughts dwell on those things.
Those of us who are in Christ have many concerns and sorrows as we see the devastation of sin in our world. We bring those concerns and sorrows to our Lord, as we are also instructed to do, but then we leave them at His feet, freeing our minds to return to those things that are, true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good reputation, excellent, and worthy of praise. And we rejoice!
Paul says, "Do it like me does!"
"The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me,
practice these things,
and the God of peace will be with you.”
May the God of peace be in all of our thoughts this very day!
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