Think on These Things
We just spent the last week evaluating our thought life by zoning in on what each of the words in Phil. 4:8 means and how to apply them to our thought life. I did that personal study because I prayed and asked God how to handle some of my plaguing reoccurring mental and emotional stalemates. The day after I prayed that, I read through Phil. 4 in my quiet time and saw that fresh and gentle reminder that it all starts with my thought life. So Phil. 4:8 is my verse for the year.
After studying it, the impression I have is that God requires simply a positively pure, sincere thought life. One of my go-to verses to avoid conflict with others is, He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life; but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction. (Prov. 13:3) Now I realize that’s good advice once ugly thoughts have festered for awhile, but it would be better to discipline my thought life so that the ugly thoughts that require a zipped lip don’t roost in my mind in the first place.
Phil. 4:8 gives us power to control that. It tells us what to think on. Those true, honest, just, pure, lovely, good, virtuous and praise thoughts don’t just pop into our heads automatically, because we are sinners living in a fleshly body. It’s something to work at. As mentioned in an earlier post, a good companion verse to Phil 4:8 is Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. (2 Cor. 10:5)
Part of thinking appropriately is to recognize and toss aside every thought that offends God. It’s a good idea to have a replacement thought handy. So my plan moving forward is to thank God for something when I have to remove a thought. Why that? Because when I prayed and asked God for wisdom and I read through Phil 4, I was equally impressed with the verses before Phil. 4:8. Here they are:
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:6-7)
When I thank God, I’m not focusing on negativity in my prayer or in my thought life. It would be impossible to have an untrue, dishonest, unjust, impure, ugly, wicked thought while thanking God.
As it turns out, God inhabits praise. (Psa. 22:3). God lives in praise and thanksgiving. Don’t you want to be that tight with God?
Come on the journey with me to replace ugly thoughts with praise and thanksgiving thoughts.
Jody
If There Be Any Praise
Praise is like a rose—a symbol of approval and love that you give someone. But in terms of Phil. 4:8, that rose or approval or commendation is a thought we think. God wants us to release a bundle of fragrant thought roses.
Praise is positive. So these thoughts have no hint of trying hard to steer the mind correctly. Praise thoughts are glory-giving thoughts.
I love that this glory giving happens internally, because that is more sincere than the praise we may offer outwardly. When no one knows what is going on inside our hearts and we think thoughts of praise—how lovely that must be to God, whether we have these thoughts towards Him or others He created.
Believe it or not, God is the best praise thinker and giver. When he sees obedience, purity and sincerity from deep within us, He is ready with praise from His pure heart.
But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. (Rom. 2:29)
Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God. (1Cor. 4:5)
…If there be any praise, think on these things. Now the question is, how do we muster these kinds of thoughts? Material for praise-worthy thoughts is not that handy, unless we are thinking on God and His word.
This is where I think putting Bible verses to music is so valuable. If you are at all musical, try coming up with a tune you can sing to God with words that originate from Him. I actually have many of them, and you can find the free sheet music off to the right where it says “NT Musical Memory Verses” and “OT Musical Memory Verses.”
The idea of a mind engaged in thoughts of praise reminds me of this verse: Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; (Eph. 5:19)
Praise thoughts directed to God are the best kind. To get started, here’s one to think on for today: For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations. (Psa. 100:5)
Jody
If There Be Any Virtue
I’ve noticed a pattern in the list of things we are to think about in Phil. 4:8. Our thought life and our lived life are to match. To be true, think true. To be honest, think honest, to be just, think just, and so on. Today, we are looking at “if there be any virtue… think on these things.”
Virtue is moral goodness and purity. We are to think on these things so that they are then reflected in our lives. Because, as he thinketh in his heart, so is he. (Prov. 23:7) In particular, a woman who shows virtue is attractive.
A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones. (Prov. 12:4)
Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. (Prov. 31:10)
Maybe the counseling we give and receive on the importance of being a virtuous woman falls short. Most of what I’ve heard about the virtuous woman has everything to do with what she does and says with no mention of what she thinks.
So let’s examine that. The verse above… A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband. I want to be that. The best way I’ve been taught is to just hold my tongue. At least that way, I’ll appear virtuous. After all, a woman who speaks all her mind is clearly not virtuous. The virtuous woman openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. (Prov. 31:26)
But what if we back up a minute and focus on the thoughts that our friends and family don’t hear. What kind of a gulf is between our thoughts and our lives and words? If I think venomous thoughts, then my challenge is to make sure they don’t escape out of my mouth. Rather than work on self-control in that area, wouldn’t it be far better to work on the offending thoughts behind them so that they aren’t even there in the first place?
The way to do that is to internalize Phil. 4:8 and capture each thought that doesn’t measure up and toss it aside. Actually, that’s why Phil. 4:8 is my verse for 2016. I would absolutely love it if those thoughts became second nature to me. It would be life altering.
A good companion verse to Phil. 4:8 is Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. (2 Cor. 10:5)
Of course, to make it easier, we want to be careful what we allow in our eye and ear gates. We’ll be less likely to think trashy thoughts if we aren’t looking at and listening to trashy things.
It’s really not rocket science. If you have kids, you’re probably very concerned about what they watch and listen to, because you don’t want to see negativity reflected in their lives. Same with God. Let’s be responsible with our thinkers.
Jody
Whatsoever Things are of Good Report
Towards the bottom of the list of approved thinking material in Phil 4:8, the verse says to think on things that are of good report. That means to think on things that sound well.
I can picture that. If I were to utter what’s on my mind, it would sound good to the hearer.
Can you imagine a loud speaker playing your thoughts to a room full of people? I bet no one would come out of that scene unscathed. Does it help at all to know that God knows all our thoughts? (Ps. 94:11) That’s sobering. In spite of it, He loves us. But when He evaluates, he’s looking for good thoughts that go with good lives.
As we’ve seen in earlier blog posts, how we think affects how we speak and how we act. (Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh, Matt. 12:34).
I notice that those whose lives are said to be of good report are the ones God chooses to use for His purposes. I’m sure to get God’s approval, those with lives of good report have matching thoughts of good report behind them. Otherwise, those people are hypocrites: thinking one way and speaking/acting another way.
Here are some examples to think about:
♠And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by an holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee. (Acts 10:22) Cornelius was the vessel God chose to call for Peter to announce that the gospel applied to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews. So here, God wanted someone of good report (with a good testimony to the Jews) to be a part of ushering in the transition of the gospel message to include everybody.
♠Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. (1Tim. 3:7) A life characterized by a good report is one of the qualifications for a deacon.
♠Well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints’ feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work. (1Tim. 5:10) This verse applies to the type of widow the church is to support. She must have a good report.
♠Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. (Heb. 11:1-2) By faith, the heroes in Heb. 11 did amazing things for God, and by it, they achieved a good report.
The point of all this is that God takes seriously having an exemplary life—one that is well reported of. If that’s the kind of life God looks to use and get glory from, it has to start with the thought life—thinking things that are of good report in order to do sincere things of good report.
If I want to be an approved vessel for God, it’s going to have to start with my thoughts. I have to toss out those that couldn’t be uttered outloud.
Lord, I don’t want to be a hypocrite who thinks one way and talks and lives another way.
Jody
Whatsoever Things are Lovely
When I consider the idea of thinking on “whatsoever things are lovely,” I imagine something like this scene. Lovely is probably the most visual term in the list of approved thoughts in Phil 4:8. It’s something you’d daydream about, don’t you think?
In examining other verses in the Bible that use that word in the original Greek, I found it’s a standalone. The Bible dictionary defines it as acceptable or pleasing. Here are some questions to ask about our thoughts to determine if they qualify as lovely:
If Jesus was looking into my mind, would He agree that this thought is lovely or pleasing?
If someone asked, “What are you thinking about right now?” would I have to lie and come up with something more publically palatable?
Could I speak what I’m thinking and it would draw rather than repel a crowd?
I think you can tell when others are thinking lovely/pleasing thoughts because it shows on their face, and they are the kind of people you want to be around and talk to. You want to soak up a little of what they have.
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. (Luke 6:45)
What would be some good examples of lovely thoughts? I think it would be those that stem from a heart of love, and if we look at 1 Cor. 13:4-7, we have some good thought samples:
♥Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up. Can you picture the lovely thoughts that would yield this kind of fruit? Kind thoughts; humble thoughts; unselfish thoughts.
♥Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Thoughts to match this would be others-seeking; thoughts that don’t take offenses personally; thoughts that don’t dwell on the bad in others.
♥Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; This attitude doesn’t take into account the sins in others, but chooses to focus on truth.
♥Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. These things come from a lovely thought life willing to “take it,” believing and hoping the best for and about other people.
Certainly Jesus is our best example of all this. He knew Peter would deny Him, but Jesus looked past that iniquity, just like charity does. He had lovely thoughts for Peter and his future.
And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death. And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me. (Luke 22:31-34)
When Jesus was unjustly hung on the cross, He demonstrated lovely thoughts toward those who put Him there: Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. (Luke 23:34a)
On your own, look what Jesus prayed in John 17. He had nothing but lovely thoughts for those God gave Him to minister to, even though those people weren’t always loveable.
Jesus demonstrated God in the flesh. Of God, we read in Jeremiah, For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” (Jer. 29:11)
Overall, I’d say God and Jesus bear all things, hope all things and endure all things, and it comes from lovely thoughts toward us.
How do we get there? I guess we just pray and strive to be more Christ-like in our thoughts. Maybe ask God to help with lovely thoughts today.
Jody
Whatsoever Things are Pure
In the list of things to think about (Phil 4:8), it’s easy to understand why we should think on whatsoever things are true. Who wants to think about lies? It’s a little less obvious why we should think on things that are honest and just. But with the fourth thing—whatsoever things are pure—we are back in “that makes perfect sense” territory. Pure is an easy word to picture. It means clean. Are all my thoughts pure or clean?
I see an obvious correlation between thinking on things that are pure and being pure. Here’s a powerful thought: Jesus came to earth, suffered injustice and death on the cross, rose again the third day and is alive in heaven right now. Why did He do all that? Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. (Titus 2:14) He looked ahead at my life and yours, if you know Him as your personal savior, and He pictured people pure for Him to accomplish His good works through us. Pure vessels. That’s what He wants.
How do we be pure, besides thinking pure? Pure religion and undefiled before God… is to keep himself unspotted from the world. (James 1:27)
The motivation to be pure is the second coming of Christ. If we know for sure He’s coming back, and we are counting on it and thinking about it, we will want to live pure lives. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. (1 John 3:2-3)
So again, to be pure, we have to think pure—and the best place to find pure things to think about is the Bible.
♦The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. (Psa. 12:6)
♦The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. (Psa. 19:8b)
♦Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it. (Psa. 119:140)
That’s why it’s a great idea to get into the Bible each morning and look into the face of God and ask for something to hang on to for the day. It can be a verse of praise, a commandment to follow, a sin to avoid. With a heart eager to get something from God, it would be hard to come away from 15 minutes or a half hour in the Word without something pure to dwell on. Remember, All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. (2Tim. 3:16)
If you’re having a hard time with motivation to get into the Bible each day, pray and ask God to put a person on your heart that you could call and ask if you could be accountable to them to read your Bible each day. I did that once many years ago. As I was praying and asking God who I could be accountable to, I thought of one friend, and as I thought of her, she called me. Before I could tell her how amazing it was that she called me right at that moment, she asked me a question. She said, “Jody, can I be accountable to you to read my Bible each day?” That goes down as one of the most amazing things to ever happen to me. We started an accountability relationship. One of us called the other each morning to make sure we were out of bed and ready to start reading the Bible. It worked!
Besides thinking on the Bible, part of thinking on pure things is not letting impure things into our minds. We may have to give up some viewing material that prevents pure thoughts.
One thing is for sure, God wants pure lives and thoughts. He’s worthy of pure vessels to accomplish His will on this earth. Let’s not lose sight of that.
Jody
Whatsoever Things are Just
There is so much injustice in this world, we almost have to think outside this world to come up with just things to think about. We are looking at Phil. 4:8, which gives a list of things to think on, and “just” is the third thing in the list.
It reminds me of the phrase “To look around is to be distressed; to look in is to be depressed; to look up is to be blessed.”
That may be the point to thinking on just things. For a good understanding of what “just” means, look at these 4 verses:
♦If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)
♦And there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.” (Isa 45:21b)
♦Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. (Zech 9:9)
♦And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. (Rev 15:3)
God and Jesus are just, and from reading these verses, the word conjures images of holy righteous and lofy. So yes, looking up at Him is a good place to start in thinking of things that are just (righteous, holy and lofty) because we aren’t going to find anything like that to think on if we focus on things around us, and certainly not if we are focused on the news and anything having to do with the upcoming presidential election. We can’t look to our country for just things to think on. We can’t expect a presidential hopeful to usher in justice. Everyone around us is a sinner and brings with them unholy thoughts, ideas and actions. To place any thought on them is futile.
Our most righteous, holy thoughts will be those focused on God, Jesus and the Bible. So here are a few verses to think about, and maybe to memorize or frame and put up in the house.
He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he. (Deut. 32:4)
The just LORD is in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity: every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame. (Zeph. 3:5)
As we go through our days, let’s accept the challenge to think on things that are just—righteous and holy. When we do that, we will probably find that our actions follow, and we become better people to be around.
Jody
Whatsoever Things are Honest
What does it mean in Phil. 4:8 to think on things that are honest? I completely understand what it means to BE honest, but to think on things that are honest? I looked up the meaning and other words to describe it are grave or noble. Think on those things.
For a better understanding, consider the opposite of honest/grave/noble. Wouldn’t that be thoughts that are lies and things that cause the mind to dwell in muck and mire? In that case, we can take just about anything the world puts out there as something that doesn’t lead to honest/grave/noble thoughts. Upstanding might be a good word to describe what it means to think on things that are honest. What isn’t upstanding? For starters, how about songs with ungodly words, ideas and suggestions. Or trashy books, magazines, movies, videos, and TV shows? If the goal is to steer our minds away from ignoble thoughts, then our eye- and ear-gates may need new material.
I think in our age, we are so sedated and numb with the din of these influences—and those around us who are talking about them—that we don’t realize how we are holding ourselves down spiritually.
But the verse doesn’t say what not to think about. It says to think about honest things. That means replacing the dishonorable dwelling thoughts with upstanding, profitable thoughts.
I surely have one example from my life. I walk 3 miles each morning, and in less-than-ideal weather, I’m on the treadmill. To keep my mind off the repetition of walking, I watch recorded TV programs. What if I chose to do something more noble and honest with my mind? A better plan might be to listen to a recorded sermon or a good Christian book on tape. In fact, I started one today. That is more honest of a thing to ponder than the TV programs, which are simply worldly fluff. I want better thoughts, leading to better ideas and behaviors. I want to think noble so I act noble. Is anyone with me?
Here’s an old poem that paints a pretty good picture of what we’re talking about.
I have three tame ducks in my back yard,
Who wallow in the mud, and try real hard
To get their share and even more
of the overflowing backyard store.
They're fairly content with the task they're at
Of eating and sleeping and getting fat.
But when the wild ducks fly by
In a streaming line across the sky,
They cast a wishful and quizzical eye
And flap their wings and attempt to fly.
I think my soul is a tame old duck
Wallowing around in the barnyard muck,
It's fat and lazy with useless wings
But, once in awhile when the north wind sings
And the wild ducks hurtle overhead
It remembers something lost and almost dead,
And it casts a wistful eye
And flaps its wings and tries to fly.
It's fairly content with the state that it's in
But it isn't the duck that it might have been!
(Author unknown)
Jody
Whatsoever Things are True
What change, what victory could happen in my life if I had just one verse that I focused on and lived out every day—for a year? I’m about to find out. My verse for the year is Phil 4:8. This is an action verse, and it’s one I need.
Phil 4:8 is a list of “approved” thoughts to dwell on as one way to keep me from being anxious. (The other way to keep from being anxious is in the 2 verses ahead of verse 8. You should read them.)
Will you go on the Phil. 4:8 journey with me? It would probably be a good idea to examine each of the thought types listed to capture as much meaning from them as possible. So, we will do that. But also, memorizing it is a grand idea, so that when our Bibles aren’t right in front of us, we still have the wisdom of what to do with our minds.
Here we go with the first approved thought:
Whatsoever things are true…think on these things.
What is truth? Jesus is true and “the truth” (Matt 22:16, John 14:6); God is true (John 3:33, Rom 3:4); the anointing we received when we got saved is true (1 John 2:27); and God’s word is true and the truth.
So when I’m told to think on whatsoever things are true, I can think about God and all that He is and does, and thank Him for it while I’m thinking about it. I can think about Jesus and all He did and still does (He’s my intercessor at the right hand of God right now, Heb. 7:25). I can think about the Spirit who helps me know and understand the truth (1 Cor. 2:10).
When you were growing up, did your parents ever tell you they were going to wash your mouth out with soap for saying something inappropriate?
As a loving parent, God has a similar, but more palatable, idea for washing our minds before we spout ugliness. He does it with the water of His word.
Here are some soul-cleansing swigs about the truth of God’s word:
♦“Sanctify (consecrate or make holy) them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” (John 17:17)
♦“…Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,” (Eph. 5:25b-26)
♦“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word.” (Psa. 119:9)
While we consider thinking on “whatsoever things are true,” we should understand that this involves corralling random thoughts that float to the surface and comparing them with truth. It also involves our “dwelling” thoughts—or those we muse over. They also need to be captured and held up to the “whatsoever things are true” standard.
Some of the things we ponder are untrue imaginings, and we know what God says about those:
“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5).
And finally, if we want to be overcomers, we have to think on the truth. It’s partly how we get victory in our spiritual battles.
“Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth” (Eph. 6:13-14a).
You probably already know all this, but let’s practice it together. Today and tomorrow let’s hold up our thoughts to the truth we know and turn our minds around wherever we need to. It will make us different people.
Tell me what you think.
Jody