To Encourage You

Philippians 4:8-9 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”

Do you have self-control?  When temptations come your way, who wins – you, or your temptations?  So often when we think about temptations our minds go to various vices, like eating and drinking to excess or temptations to sexual sin.  However, there are also temptations to fear, to be anxious, and to doubt when trouble looms.  These are the types of temptations that can cause us to lose sleep at night, particularly if we are losing the battle of self-control.  It is to this issue that the Holy Spirit, through the apostle Paul, speaks to us in the verses above. 

This passage is from the very end of Paul’s letter to the Philippian church. Paul wrote this letter from prison. Yet he speaks about his joy. And so Paul demonstrates as well as instructs the church on how to think.  It is evident in his words that thinking is a discipline.  So often our thoughts control us.  They come to us from who knows where – maybe from the things we’ve been watching on TV, the conversations we’ve had with friends either personally or in the social media, or from the constant barrage of bad news in the media.  Sometimes our thoughts seem to come out of thin air, e.g., a sudden worry or fear.  Then as we dwell on negative thoughts, they can snowball and become overwhelming to us, controlling our emotions, and adversely impacting our actions. So, what do we do about all this? 

Well, Paul tells us in the words above.  He tells us to think, a word that in the Greek means “to consider, take account, weigh, meditate on.” Obviously, to actually do this means it will take time. It’s a deliberate thing.  It’s a choice.  In other words, Paul is saying that believers are to train their minds and take time to ponder certain things, which he lists.  He describes them as things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise. 

So where do we find such things. Interestingly Paul follows up his instruction with this: “what you’ve learned and received and heard and seen in me.”  There’s an obvious link in the context, for the Word of God that Paul shared with the Philippian church in his letter has all the marks of this list.  And then Paul says that they (and we) shouldn’t just think about them; rather, we are to put them into practice.  And the benefit?  Peace, i.e., an awareness that the “God of peace” is with you.  For you see, the fact of the matter is that He really is with us, but it sure doesn’t feel that way when our thoughts are trying to tell us the opposite in times of trouble. 

So, how does this work?  How do we “meditate on the Word of God day and night,” as is the practice of the godly man described in Psalm 1.  It means we take time to read God’s Word, and then we take time to think deeply about it.  Every Word of God is true – so there’s no reason to be concerned that we’re dealing with “fake news.”  Because it comes from a God Who is honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise, every word He has spoken will bear those same marks. 

Just think about the little phrase above: “the God of peace will be with you.” As we take time to actually think about this, to mull it over, to chew upon it mentally, and take it deep down into our spirits, it has a wonderful and transforming effect.  First, the statement is true. No matter how we feel or how things look, the God of peace has promised us that He will absolutely and most assuredly be with us.  He sent Jesus, Immanuel, i.e., “God with us,” to show the personal intimacy of His presence, and Jesus sent His Holy Spirit to be not only with us, but also in us (John 14:17).   And why is God with us?  How can this be?  How can a God Who is just tolerate us when we have been so unjust, so sinful, and so unworthy of His presence? It’s because His justice was satisfied on the cross, when His own pure, holy, righteous Son gave His life for our sins.  Wonderfully, it is because of this that we also know, that “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32). Here “all things” includes His very presence and the fulfillment of every promise of His Word. 

It is these kinds of things that God would have us to think deeply about. He wants us to meditate on the infinite, beautiful, pure majesty of His Truth.  But it’s a choice.  We can let our thoughts have their way with us, or we can train our thoughts to go in the way of the verses above. May God help us to take the time to daily and intentionally “think about these things” for who wouldn’t want to be very aware that “the God of peace” is with us.