Our church just started a new sermon series on the Spiritual Disciplines. Last week the topic was mediation and Ray challenged us to meditate on the following verse this week to practice this discipline:
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)
So, that’s what I’ve been doing. We even talked about the verse and meditation during Monday’s Elder Meeting. It’s a short verse, but there’s a lot to consider here…plenty to mediate on. The first thing I noticed is that Paul is NOT asking us to take action, to do something (which is my natural inclination). He’s simply saying we should “fix our thoughts on” and “think about” these things. That’s it…nothing more (at least for now…perhaps the actions should only happen after the meditation and contemplation?).
Then I started thinking about these questions: What is true? What’s honorable? What’s right? You get the idea. What exactly am I supposed to be thinking and fixing my thoughts on? I struggled here. I prayed about it. I meditated on it (that was the point right?). And the answer became very clear…and something I would have missed had I not slowed down and mediated on this short little verse of Scripture…
What’s true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and worthy of praise?
Only one thing: GOD
He’s the source of all that we’re supposed to think about. He’s what we’re supposed to fix our thoughts on. Now, we may be thinking about His beautiful creation or some amazing piece of art or music, but HE is the ultimate source that we should be fixing our thoughts on.
So that’s what I’m working on now…fixing my thoughts!
Post Tags: Meditation, Philippians, Spiritual Disciplines
Amen and amen
What I love about scripture is that not only does it provide detailed instruction about our relationship with God through Christ, but it also serves as the best roadmap for the best life here on earth.
One American theologian, Tryon Edwards, said this about thoughts: “Thoughts lead on to purposes; purposes go forth in action; actions form habits; habits decide character; character fixes our destiny.”
Take you, for example. You have been thinking about ministry for 20+ years. It consumed your thoughts and became your purpose…. It ended up being your professional destiny.
Likewise, harboring bad thoughts leads to unfortunate ends. Truly, what comes from negative thoughts…resentment, anger, regret, vengeance…? I would consider it to be a “law of God;” it works whether or not you believe in Jesus. So, “fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and….”