What I Think - True, Honorable, Right, Pure and Excellent
What I Think – True, Honorable, Right, Pure and Excellent
What am I thinking? We often ask ourselves. Or we ask another. What were you thinking? Are you crazy? Sometimes we don’t even know what we are thinking and how we got to what we are thinking. Already confused of what you are thinking and what you think and I am asking you think?
Listen to the Holy Spirit thru Apostle Paul on what to think and how to think (consider, ponder, dwell-on). The result of right thinking is our full experience of God’s presence as the God of peace in all circumstances. Keep in mind our heavenly citizenship and our names are in the Book of Life, THEREFORE:
8 Finally, [b]believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart]. 9 The things which you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things [in daily life], and the God [who is the source] of peace and well-being will be with you. Philippians 4:8-9.
We can and do think strange and crazy thoughts. In short, at one point or the other, we are all insane and not thinking right. It is hard to hear and say but it is true. In our natural human state which is “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God”, we cannot think right. We need a supernatural state and frame of mind to think right. We need a mind renewed by the Word of God – the mind of Christ.
We have a choice in thinking. The choice is between using the renewed or un-renewed mind. Once we receive the Truth (Jesus), we will think things that are true.
Honorable thinking is that which honors God. Remember the Lord’s Prayer, “Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed (honored) be your name. This is the starting point of good thinking. Anything that honors our Father is good and becomes a filter for every other good thought. We must constantly answer the question? Is it true and does it honor God?
The Holy Spirit thru Paul has given us a new Paradigm for Thinking:
Topic: Whatever (e.g. marriage relationship etc.) What to Think (Write as many as possible)
What is True in this and point to Jesus the Truth?
What honors God and is honest in this?
What is just/right and what reflects God’s justice in this?
What is pure and wholesome in this?
What is lovely and how can I show love in this?
What is good to report in this and admirable?
What is excellent and virtuous in this?
What can I praise God and encourage someone in this?
We must make the Paradigm shift to thinking biblically and God’s way. May I challenge us to use the above sketch to process our thinking in the next few days (and beyond) to get a handle on our thinking. We must establish the discipline in our thinking since we are called Disciples of Christ.
My Facebook friend posted: “Many Christians think they need deliverance when all they really need is discipline”. This is very true. Discipline must start with our thinking that is influenced by God’s word. For example, people in financial trouble pray God to deliver them from crisis. What they really need is discipline on budgeting and managing what God has already provided them. Is this spending a true need? Will it honor God and am I being honest to myself and to others and not trying to impress anybody by this thing I want to buy? “The devil did not make you do”!
Our thinking must become the basis of our prayers. Lord, help us to think (on what is true about you God, about our position in Christ and true about others) and act right today and always. Amen. Thank you Lord for you have given us the “mind of Christ” so we can use the gift of our brains for your glory.
Let’s continue to pray without ceasing casting down every thought that is contrary to the knowledge of God and that is not in obedience to Christ. Amen.
You and I can and must change the way and things we think by the Power of God’s Word. Amen.
What am I thinking? We often ask ourselves. Or we ask another. What were you thinking? Are you crazy? Sometimes we don’t even know what we are thinking and how we got to what we are thinking. Already confused of what you are thinking and what you think and I am asking you think?
Listen to the Holy Spirit thru Apostle Paul on what to think and how to think (consider, ponder, dwell-on). The result of right thinking is our full experience of God’s presence as the God of peace in all circumstances. Keep in mind our heavenly citizenship and our names are in the Book of Life, THEREFORE:
8 Finally, [b]believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart]. 9 The things which you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things [in daily life], and the God [who is the source] of peace and well-being will be with you. Philippians 4:8-9.
We can and do think strange and crazy thoughts. In short, at one point or the other, we are all insane and not thinking right. It is hard to hear and say but it is true. In our natural human state which is “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God”, we cannot think right. We need a supernatural state and frame of mind to think right. We need a mind renewed by the Word of God – the mind of Christ.
We have a choice in thinking. The choice is between using the renewed or un-renewed mind. Once we receive the Truth (Jesus), we will think things that are true.
Honorable thinking is that which honors God. Remember the Lord’s Prayer, “Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed (honored) be your name. This is the starting point of good thinking. Anything that honors our Father is good and becomes a filter for every other good thought. We must constantly answer the question? Is it true and does it honor God?
The Holy Spirit thru Paul has given us a new Paradigm for Thinking:
Topic: Whatever (e.g. marriage relationship etc.) What to Think (Write as many as possible)
What is True in this and point to Jesus the Truth?
What honors God and is honest in this?
What is just/right and what reflects God’s justice in this?
What is pure and wholesome in this?
What is lovely and how can I show love in this?
What is good to report in this and admirable?
What is excellent and virtuous in this?
What can I praise God and encourage someone in this?
We must make the Paradigm shift to thinking biblically and God’s way. May I challenge us to use the above sketch to process our thinking in the next few days (and beyond) to get a handle on our thinking. We must establish the discipline in our thinking since we are called Disciples of Christ.
My Facebook friend posted: “Many Christians think they need deliverance when all they really need is discipline”. This is very true. Discipline must start with our thinking that is influenced by God’s word. For example, people in financial trouble pray God to deliver them from crisis. What they really need is discipline on budgeting and managing what God has already provided them. Is this spending a true need? Will it honor God and am I being honest to myself and to others and not trying to impress anybody by this thing I want to buy? “The devil did not make you do”!
Our thinking must become the basis of our prayers. Lord, help us to think (on what is true about you God, about our position in Christ and true about others) and act right today and always. Amen. Thank you Lord for you have given us the “mind of Christ” so we can use the gift of our brains for your glory.
Let’s continue to pray without ceasing casting down every thought that is contrary to the knowledge of God and that is not in obedience to Christ. Amen.
You and I can and must change the way and things we think by the Power of God’s Word. Amen.
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