Think About Such Things

I am at a non profit house in the US this week. It has signs all around saying be nice and be considerate. The signs are to encourage people to be good housemates. Really nice reminders. Jesus gave us infinite work and mission when he said love one another. Then, God inspired tough thinking Paul the Apostle to write the book of Philippians to his good friends in Philippi. Within that, he writes the words. “Think about such things” Let’s look at what we can do in faith to be so well as people in this non profit want to be.  What ought we to think on?

⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Can we all sigh together and say, let’s go? The kingdom of God is more than being nice. Can we taste that God is asking us to be more than nice?

He is asking us to clean up our inner thoughts. How much negativity occupies our thinking?

Upward thinking is hard to maintain. See in this text that God wants us to look up and smile from a heart filled with lovely thought. God does not want us to always being furrowing our eyebrows.

He wants us to be filled with admirable thoughts. God does not just give us platitudes. He died on a Roman Cross to free us from guilt and feelings of being not good enough. God loves us, and sees who we are. He wants to cast out negativity, to all who repent and seek Him with all their heart.

Think About Such Things Indeed

The good news is that God gives us power, not just rules. He puts his muscles behind our efforts to be more positive in our thinking. Some medical reasons exist for anxiety and negativity. One of these is hypothyroidism which can be managed with medicine to replace what the thyroid fails to produce. Other issues exist that may need medical help.  Negativity is a burden that no one wants and God implores us to leave behind.

I am not here trying to hold a gun to those who see the world more darkly. The Old Testament Prophets would get few positive points from Philippians, yet God loved and used them.

There is a tine for everything, but be sure there is time for thinking of lovely things. Lets hold God’s hand and lighten up our hearts. The Creator of all tells us to think about these things.