A Life Worthy

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: Paul’s not about pushing away bad thoughts. I used to misread 2 Corinthians 10:5–the one about taking thoughts captive– 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 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… (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 Thursday.

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 girls 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 Tuesday

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

“Right” is kind of like “True.”

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 Friday, 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 Friday, Beloved.

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

“True for you” isn’t.

Truth is not an opinion.

It does not waver or shift with the fashion.  It does not vary from situation to situation or person to person.

We live in a world that tells us there is no absolute Truth, that truth is malleable and changes through the ages.  The world tells you that you create your own truth.

The world lies.  

And you know it.

Because truth is a person.  A glorious, personal person.

Jesus said he is the way, and the truth, and the life.  He said that we would know him–the truth–and he would set us free.  So, that which is consistent with the person of Jesus Christ, that which lines up with who he is…that is true.

That which does not…is not.

Walk in truth today, Beloved.

Happy Wednesday