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