Think About It

Today we are going to be talking about our minds. The battle for our lives is often won or lost in our minds. What we allow to occupy our thoughts shapes our emotions, influences our decisions and determines the trajectory of our lives. According to a study done in 2020 the average person has around 6,000 thoughts per day that is 6.5 thoughts per minute, that’s a lot when you think about it. Well Paul gives us a divine filter if you will to put our thoughts through. We are going to be looking at Philippians 4:8-9 to see what Paul teaches us about our thoughts. We are going to look at three life changing truths from this passage that can transform the way we think and live.

Philippians 4:8–9 ESV

8 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. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

We Must Guard Our Thought Life

Philippians 4:8 ESV

8 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.

Here in verse 8 Paul gives us a clear command “think about these things”. He used the Greek word logizomai— it is more than just a simple thought, it means to carefully consider, to reckon, to deliberately focus your mind. It is an active mental discipline. Paul gives us 8 categories to filter our thoughts through. True—not false, not based on lies or deception—Honorable, worthy of respect, noble—Just, right, in alignment with God’s character—Pure, morally clean, without contamination—Lovely, pleasing, winsome, beautiful—Commendable, admirable, of good reputation—Excellence, virtuous, of high quality—Worthy of Praise, deserving commendation. Think of your mind as a garden, what you plant is what grows. We must be intentional about what we allow in our minds. We live in a society that bombards us with content designed to capture our attention, and it is not necessarily to build us up. The average person sees thousands of ads many of which are aimed at our base desires. We carry a device in our pocket that can instantly connect us with both to the best and worst of humanity. Paul’s command is clear—we must guard our thought life. Sometimes this means making difficult decisions about what we allow into our minds. We have to make sure we are planting flowers not weeds in the garden that is our mind. Running everything through the filter that Paul has given us. Water filter illustration.

Right Thinking Leads to Right Living

Philippians 4:9 LEB

9 And the things which you have learned and received and heard about and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

We now move from mind to action. Paul knows our transformation is not complete until our thoughts produce action. There is a direct line from what we think about to how we live our lives. Our thoughts become our beliefs, our beliefs shape our values, and our values determine our actions. This is why guarding our thought life is so important, because thoughts don’t just stay thoughts. They leak out into our behavior, our words, our relationships and our character. Cherokee story

There's an old Cherokee story about a grandfather teaching his grandson about life. He said, "A fight is going on inside me. It's between two wolves. One is evil—he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego."

He continued, "The other is good—he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you, and inside every person."

The grandson thought about it and asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

Paul offers himself as an example—”what is learned, received, heard and seen in him”. Paul’s thoughts aligned with his actions—even in prison he practiced what he preached. So, what does this look like for us when we filter our thoughts and fill our minds with what is TRUE, we become people of integrity, who live authentically. When we meditate on what is HONORABLE and RIGHT, we develop the courage to stand up for what is godly and right. When we focus on what is PURE we guard our relationships and our motives. When we think about things that are PLEASING and COMMENDABLE, we become people who encourage others, who see the good, and build others up. We become people who are focused on the things of God not the things of this world.

God’s Peace Follows Our Obedience

Philippians 4:9 LEB

9 And the things which you have learned and received and heard about and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

We see a beautiful promise that concludes this passage—”the God of peace will be with you”. When we guard our minds and algin our actions with His truth, God Himself the very source of peace is with us. this is the peace Paul experienced in prison, it is the peace that transcends circumstances. I want to be clear it is not the absence of trouble but the presence of God in the midst of trouble. I want to point out the order of things here—1st comes the discipline of right thinking 2nd comes the action of living rightly 3rd comes the experience of God’s peace. So many people are seeking peace through circumstances—if only I had a better house, more money, a better job, then I would have peace. But Paul who is writing from prison had peace because his mind was fixed on the right things and his life aligned with God’s will. This peace is not just an emotional feeling, although it does affect our emotions. It is a deep seated confidence that God is in control, that God is good, and that He is with us. When our minds are filled with anxiety we lose peace, when we dwell on bitterness, or focus on all the bad things peace evaporates. But when we intentionally redirect our thoughts to what is true, honorable, right, pure, pleasing and commendable—thinking about God’s faithfulness, His promises, His Love—peace floods in. Paul also tells us in 2 Corinthians 10:4–5 “4 for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but powerful to God for the tearing down of fortresses, tearing down arguments 5 and all pride that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” We are in a battle for our minds and we must hold every thought captive in Christ.

Think About It

Paul has given us some clear direction, it is not complicated, but it can be challenging. It requires for us to be disciplined—intentional—and committed daily. We need to guard our thought life by being intentional in what we allow in our mind, we need to use Paul’s 8 fold test. We need to let right thinking lead to right living—don’t just be hearers of the word but doers of the word. Then we can experience God’s peace through our obedience. I want to challenge all of us to do a thought audit—pay attention to our thoughts and filter them through Philippians 4:8.