In Philippians 4:8 I read, “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise." (NLT)
It’s increasingly difficult to stay focused on true things. The Bible says, “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise” (Philippians 4:8 NLT).
To do so requires a mental shift. It means I’m going to have to build new, and better habits.
My mind is bombarded with lies every single day. Advertisements and social media tell me that if I don’t think, dress, or act a certain way, I don’t matter. When I’m growing up, I’m told that if I’m not good at academics or athletics, I don’t matter. This world is full of lies, and I’ve believed many of them. But they’re just not true.
The only way to counter those lies is to fill my mind with the truth. The truth is that I am a child of God. I matter to him. Jesus said that when I know the truth, it will set me free.
To be set free means to have a breakthrough. The only way I can experience a breakthrough is to be in God’s Word, the Bible, every day, even if it’s just for a few minutes.
If you think you can’t do that, just consider how many hours I spend on social media or TV or watching the news. How am I going to have a healthy mind if I’m filling it with lies instead of the truth?
Not everything I hear is true. Not everything I tell myself is true. I’ve got to get into the Bible every day, because God will always speak the truth. I can trust what he says about me and the promises he’s made for me in his Word because he always keeps his promises.
What happens when I keep my mind on the right things?
“If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7 TLB).
To have my heart and mind at rest, with less stress, get started by getting into God’s Word.
In summary, I need to fix my thoughts on what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. It’s increasingly difficult to stay focused on true things. To do so requires a mental shift. I have to build new, and better habits. My mind is bombarded with lies every single day. This world is full of lies, and I’ve believed many of them. But they’re just not true. The only way to counter those lies is to fill my mind with the truth. The truth is that I am a child of God. I matter to him. Jesus said that when I know the truth, it will set me free. To be set free means to have a breakthrough. The only way I can experience a breakthrough is to be in God’s Word, every day, even if it’s just for a few minutes. In order to make time, consider how many hours I spend on social media, TV or watching the news. How am I going to have a healthy mind if I’m filling it with lies instead of the truth? Not everything I hear is true. Not everything I tell myself is true. I’ve got to get into the Bible every day, because God will always speak the truth. I can trust what he says about me and the promises he’s made and because he always keeps his promises. To have my heart and mind at rest, with less stress, get into God’s Word.
What I put into my mind determines what comes out in my words and actions. Paul tells me to program my mind with thoughts that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and worthy of praise. If I find myself having problems with wrong thoughts, examine what I'm feeding my mind with via TV, the Internet, reading, conversations, movies, video games, etc. Replace any harmful input with wholesome material. Above all, read God's Word and pray. Ask God to help me focus my mind on what is good and pure.
Father, thank you for Your Word and Jesus as my savior and example. You want me and I need you in my life. Please give me Your strength for today and remind me in little ways that I can always believe in, have faith in and can trust you in everything. This includes being the authority for my life, the source of my self-worth and my hope for the future. You have my best interests in mind. So I ask you to help me to embrace the way you’ve made me; my gifting and passions. Help me to serve and fulfill the mission you have in mind for me.
Today, I ask you for wisdom and guidance for my day, my work, my leadership, my interactions with others, doing well and making a difference in others lives. I pray all these things through your Son Jesus’ name, Amen.
0 comments:
Post a Comment