40 Days of Truth - 40
Dr Jim Brown's TruNorth Devotional
40 Days of TRUTH
Day 40 | WHAT WE THINK ABOUT
40 Days of TRUTH
Day 40 | WHAT WE THINK ABOUT
WHAT WE THINK ABOUT
Philippians 4:8
“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.”
Do you ever THINK about what you’re thinking about?
Most people don’t… they just let their minds spin about whatever the latest thing is that they’ve seen, read or heard, or perhaps just replay in their minds something from earlier.
Today, we have MORE information coming our way than ever before in history. Thus, many people today seem to be experiencing some type of “information overload.”
Here in Philippians 4:8, Paul is giving a Spirit-inspired guide which – I think – is GOLDEN.
In this verse, Paul lists things on which we should meditate or think. Things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy.
It seems similar to his writings in Romans 12:2 when he says we need to be “transformed by the renewing of your minds” or 2 Corinthians 10:5 when he speaks of the importance of “casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.”
What Paul – on inspiration from the Holy Spirit – is teaching is that we need to CONTROL our minds and FOCUS them appropriately. This is something WE do, not something we just assume the Lord will do for us.
So back to my opening question – How often do you THINK about what you’re thinking about? AND, if what you’re thinking about does NOT fit into the pattern of: “TRUE, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy” … do you CHANGE your thinking?
I also love the PROMISE of the next verse:
Phil 4:9: “The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.”
And so, I often ask: “Who DOESN’T want to experience God’s peace?
Paul’s list begins with thinking about “… whatever is TRUE.”
HOW do you know whether what you seen or heard or read, is true?
People outright LIE all the time; on TV, on the Internet, in print – or at least tell just half-truths or put their own spin on whatever they say. It is SO common now that it’s hard to know what is “the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.”
So, how are you going to DO this verse?
Start with the Lord God. HE is TRUTH. His WORD is truth. His SON is truth. But with his Word and his Spirit and then apply that to everything to hear or see or read.
Prayer: Lord, it’s a challenge today to discern truth from half-truth, but a half-truth is a lie too. Help me to DISCERN the good from the bad, the true from the false, and help me to work with You to get my thinking focused on those things which are TRUE and pleasing in Your sight. Amen.
Philippians 4:8
“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.”
Do you ever THINK about what you’re thinking about?
Most people don’t… they just let their minds spin about whatever the latest thing is that they’ve seen, read or heard, or perhaps just replay in their minds something from earlier.
Today, we have MORE information coming our way than ever before in history. Thus, many people today seem to be experiencing some type of “information overload.”
Here in Philippians 4:8, Paul is giving a Spirit-inspired guide which – I think – is GOLDEN.
In this verse, Paul lists things on which we should meditate or think. Things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy.
It seems similar to his writings in Romans 12:2 when he says we need to be “transformed by the renewing of your minds” or 2 Corinthians 10:5 when he speaks of the importance of “casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.”
What Paul – on inspiration from the Holy Spirit – is teaching is that we need to CONTROL our minds and FOCUS them appropriately. This is something WE do, not something we just assume the Lord will do for us.
So back to my opening question – How often do you THINK about what you’re thinking about? AND, if what you’re thinking about does NOT fit into the pattern of: “TRUE, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy” … do you CHANGE your thinking?
I also love the PROMISE of the next verse:
Phil 4:9: “The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.”
And so, I often ask: “Who DOESN’T want to experience God’s peace?
Paul’s list begins with thinking about “… whatever is TRUE.”
HOW do you know whether what you seen or heard or read, is true?
People outright LIE all the time; on TV, on the Internet, in print – or at least tell just half-truths or put their own spin on whatever they say. It is SO common now that it’s hard to know what is “the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.”
So, how are you going to DO this verse?
Start with the Lord God. HE is TRUTH. His WORD is truth. His SON is truth. But with his Word and his Spirit and then apply that to everything to hear or see or read.
Prayer: Lord, it’s a challenge today to discern truth from half-truth, but a half-truth is a lie too. Help me to DISCERN the good from the bad, the true from the false, and help me to work with You to get my thinking focused on those things which are TRUE and pleasing in Your sight. Amen.
Posted in Truth