Think About "Such Things"

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. Philippians 4: 8

The encouraging verse of today totally addresses one of the biggest struggles of my fragile soul: my thought life.  If left to my own impulses, I allow my mind to dwell in darkness and negativity, which in turn becomes a heavy wet blanket of fear that covers my entire being, pushing me down to a pit of hopelessness and despair without any easy way to escape.  Dramatic?  A bit...but 100% true.

It is no wonder Paul gives such a firm and emphatic command wrapped in his farewell to the Philippians...which travels a couple of thousands of years later to us today, this rainy, windy, cold, depressing morning...The Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle to write this verse because He knows human nature doesn't really change.  The struggles of a people who no longer exist, are the struggles of the people who replaced them...

The encouraging thing, behind all this melodrama, is the reality that, empowered by the Holy Spirit, we can overcome our mind and transform it by renewing it as we fill it up with whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy!  By thinking about such things, we can control our thought life and it will keep us on the road that leads to Jesus, the Chief Encourager, the One Who IS true, noble, right, pure lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy!

The key is finding "such things" in a world that seems to be void of anything good...

But the idea is to be encouraged not discouraged, right? So let's look at it from the correct angle.  Let's go on a scavenger hunt to find "such things."

Let's start with "whatever is true."  It is not by chance that this is the first thing in the list, is it?  Our mind must dwell on the truth and nothing but the truth.  And, what is truth? Remember this question?  This was Pontius Pilate's famous question to Jesus.  He meant it to be rhetorical, since it seems like one impossible to be answered, and which seemed to stay unanswered to those not paying attention... He meant it as a scorn...because he thought nobody could answer it, missing the part where the answer was standing right in front of him in the person of Christ!

Truth is not a concept.  Truth is a Person.  Jesus is Truth.  Therefore, if we are to renew our minds by staying focused on Truth, we better keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.  And, what is the place where we know we can always find Him, even when He seems to hide behind the cloud of circumstances that may darken our thoughts at any given time?  The Word.  Jesus is the Word, so of course we will find Him in Scripture.  Simply put:  whenever our thought life takes a turn toward darkness, run to the Bible!  Find your favorite passages.  If you don't have any favorite passages yet, read the Psalms, one after another one...I can guarantee you will come across some verses that will become your favorites there.  Go to the red letters if you have a Bible that has Jesus' words in red font...read, memorize, read again until the Word becomes part of you and it shines brightly on your path, guiding your every step.

Thinking about whatever is true will, indeed, hold you by the hand toward a place where trusting Him is no longer a wish, but a blessed reality.

Let's not be like Pontius Pilate.  Let's not stay rhetorical.  Let's ask the question and find the answer in His Face! Let's truly fix our eyes upon Jesus, The Way, The Truth and The Life...and let's see our mind become renewed as we think about "such things."  By the Powerful Name of Jesus! Amen!