Category: Philippians

And the God of peace will be with you (Philippians 4:9).

The struggle is real.

And…you’re not alone.

I am so thankful for this verse.  When I read about all I’m supposed to do and be, and realize how inadequate to the task I am…oy ve.  It can be so disheartening. And I must not be alone, because God takes a moment, just after this intense passage, just when I am most frustrated with myself and feeling like I’ll never ever no way no how ever be able to do this man of God thing, to remind me that He is with me.

The God of peace.

Not the God of strength, not in this moment, because he knows that what I need right now is a deep breath, a slowed pulse, and a reminder that He’s got me, and that He’s still at work in me.

I need peace.

And He is the source.

Be all that your Lord has called you to be today, Beloved.

And when you fail, remember that the God of peace is with you.

Happy Tuesday.

Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me–put it into practice (Philippians 4:8).

I want this.

I want to be able to say to others, “Just follow my advice and my example, and you’ll be great.”

The first part wouldn’t be too bad–I can talk a good game.

But the second?

If people were to watch my life, and do what I do, what would the state of the Church be?

That’s an uncomfortable thought.

So, I am thankful for Paul, and even more thankful for grace.

Happy Monday, Beloved.

Finally, brothers, 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).

You have the power of mind control.

Well, maybe not the power to control other people’s minds–that would be awesome for you and really unpleasant for them–but the power to control your own.

But Michael, you say, I can’t control all the thoughts that pop into my head!

True

But you can control which thoughts you encourage and dwell on. It’s like the annoying friend or relative or neighbor or coworker who pops by unannounced and uninvited. You can’t stop them from showing up, but you can control whether or not you invite them in for tasty snacks.

I just realized that I don’t have that kind of annoying friend, neighbor, etc–which means I probably am that annoying friend, neighbor, etc.

Sorry, personal circle

Point is, Beloved, you have more control than you care to admit over the thoughts you dwell on. Sorry, but there it is. You’re not a victim.

A piece of hopefully helpful advice: it’s not about pushing away bad thoughts. I used to misread 2 Corinthians 10:5 and think I was supposed to somehow remove bad thoughts and put them out of my head. Sort of bind them with mental zip ties and hand them over to Jesus. That doesn’t work. Want an example? Fine

Don’t think about wombats.

Go ahead, fight all you want–you’ll never think of anything but those giant hamster things ever again.

Like I said, it’s not about pushing out the bad. It’s about filling your mind so full of the true, the noble, the right, the pure, the lovely, the admirable, the excellent, the praiseworthy that there’s no room for anything else. It’s about letting God into  the negative thoughts so he can transform them, just like does with all the other yuck in your life. I’m telling you, it’s very hard to carry on a hateful death fantasy against the jerks in your life if you are also praying for their salvation.

I know…I’ve tried.

He falls 2000 feet from the top of the cliff to the canyon floor filled with boulders and sharp pointy things…and fully repents on the way down, accepting Christ in his final millimoments and moving on to glory!

I’m so pathetic.

Happy Friday, Beloved

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy… (Philippians 4:8)

So here’s the question.

That thought you’re having, that movie currently running in your head–if your child or spouse or friend or brother were having that thought, would you praise them?  Would you say, “Hey, Bro, way to go! I’m so glad I climbed into your noggin this morning! Stellar thought life!”  

Yes? Then that thought is praiseworthy.

No? Then…

Sorry, Beloved, but it really is that simple.

Happy Thursday

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent… (Philippians 4:8)

Excellent

The word conjures up two images for me.

First, I think of my elementary school days.  We didn’t use A, B, C grades until Junior High; in elementary we used E, S, and N.  E stood for–you guessed it–Excellent. That there was top-notch. When report card time came around, I was competing with my friends to see who had the most E’s.

Because I was a nerd.

The other image? That would be Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.

Because I am a child of the 80s.

As you go through your day today, don’t settle for mediocre thoughts and so-so time with God.  Go for top-notch. Think excellent thoughts, Dude.

I mean, Beloved.

Happy Wednesday.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable…(Philippians 4:8)

I like a lot of people.

I love some.

I respect a few.

Admire? Well, now you’re well into single digits.

Today, I’m going to try to think about that handful of people, and the the things they do that make me want to emulate them, that make me wish I were more like them. I’ll forget a lot, and I’ll get distracted, but I’ll get back to it. That’s just the way my brain works.

What about you, Beloved?  Who do you admire? Why? How can you incorporate those traits about them which are admirable into the rest of your life?

Or how about just into the rest of your Today?

Happy Monday, Beloved.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely…(Philippians 4:8)

My wife is lovely.

My daughter is lovely.

I get to think of them all day?  

Cool beans

The word “Lovely” means exquisitely beautiful, and my ladies are certainly that.  But the word has a deeper meaning.  When I think of “Lovely,” I think of something that quiets my spirit, that brings my soul rest and refreshment. Lovely things are evidence of God’s beauty and grace in the world.  How can it be that the God of thunder and lightning and earthquake and hurricane and tsunami is also the God of snowflake and fern leaf and butterfly wing and dandelion fluff–

which I know are weed seeds, but don’t spoil the mood.

Lovely is an aspect of God’s glory that I don’t often take enough time to notice, much less appreciate.

Today I shall.

Care to join me, Beloved?

Happy Friday.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right,whatever is pure…(Philippians 4:8).

Ivory soap bugs me.

Oh, the soap itself is fine–smells nice and lathers well.

It’s the advertizing.

They say that the stuff is 99.44 percent pure.

You can’t say that.  “Pure” is an absolute.  You can’t have partly pure.

You can’t even have mostly pure.

It’s either pure

or it isn’t.

Paul tells us to think about what is pure.   

Good luck with that.

I mean it.  Well, not the luck part.  Instead, I wish you grace as you plow through the sociocesspool that we call Thursday.  Keep your eyes fixed on Christ and your thoughts centered on glory, and try not to slip in the muck.

And if, by chance, you do, the One who calls you Beloved will clean you up–and he’s got something much better that Ivory soap.

Although I do like Ivory soap.  Please don’t sue me, Proctor and Gamble. I’m a poor and simple man.

Happy Thursday, Beloved.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right…(Philippians 4:8).

“Right” is kind of like “Truth.”

The world will tell you that it is subjective, that what is right for you may not be right for me.

The world is wrong.  Enormously, abundantly, horrifically, dangerously wrong.

Wow, that sounds awfully narrow-minded of me.

Yep

“Narrow is the path…” and all that.

You see, it would be different if we had no objective reference point for right and wrong.  If we all had to make it up as we go along, you could see how we might wonder about the right and wrong of basic issues.

But we do have an objective reference point.

We just don’t like to look at it sometimes.

For all the things that are unclear in the Bible, there are a whole big hairy bunch of things that are crystal clear.

As you move through your Wednesday, focus on that which you know is right.  Hey, here’s a thought–if you have a moment, post a comment on one “right” thing we can ponder today.  I’ll start us off:

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves (Phil. 2:3).

That’s right.

You’re up!

Happy Wednesday, Beloved.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble…(Philippians 4:8)

Noble

As in, “Worthy of or befitting nobility.”  That’s just my definition.  I don’t know if Mr. Webster would approve, but it works for me.

You, Beloved, are nobility.  Better than that, you are royalty.  You are a child of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Don’t rush through that thought.  

Soak in it for a bit.  

Repeat it…roll it around your soul for a moment.

OK…good.

God has pulled you out of the muck and glop of this world.  He has cleansed you, clothed you, and called you his own.  He has stood you before all the universe and said, “Hey!  This one’s mine.  Back off!”

Or something like that.

So, why would you dive back into the muck?

Why do I?

Oh, Beloved.  Our thought life should befit our new station.  The sinful thoughts, the base, the petty, the immoral–they are not just wrong; they are beneath us. They are not worthy of who we have been called to be.

Lord, help me to be the man you see when you look beneath the muck.

Can I get an “Amen?”

Happy Tuesday, Beloved.