What Are You Thinking About?

⁸ And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. 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. ⁹ Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.
-Philippians 4:8-9 (NLT)


In yesterday's post, we talked about how we should worry about nothing, but be in constant prayer, allowing the peace of God to rule in our hearts and minds. Today, I want us to focus on verses 8-9 of Philippians 4, the verses right after Paul teaches us about prayer and the peace of God.


Verse 8 says, "And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. 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." Where our thoughts are, that is where our mind and our hearts are as well. I've found this principle true in my own life. When things start to get me down, I turn my thoughts from my situation to the things of God. That is why things like Bible study and memorization are so important. That is why songs like the great old hymns of the church are vital to our Christian life. The great old hymns speak about things like faith, the faithfulness of God. Just look at the words to the great old hymn "Great Is Thy Faithfulness."

"Great is Thy faithfulness," O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

• "Great is Thy faithfulness!" "Great is Thy faithfulness!"
    Morning by morning new mercies I see;
  All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
      "Great is Thy faithfulness," Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

© 1923. Ren. 1951 Hope Publishing Co., Carol Stream, IL 60188
www.hopepublishing.com
All rights reserved.  Used by permission.

Source: http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/19#ixzz1tzfx8k7k

Paul teaches us to fix our thoughts on the things of God, things that are true, admirable, lovely, honorable, right and pure. Doing this takes our focus off of our problems and our circumstances, and puts them on God. What is your thoughts fixed on today? Are they fixed on God, or on your circumstances. If you want the peace of God in your life, then change your focus from you and your problems, to God and His peace. Think About It.