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