So far, we’ve learned that stress is a load on the system that usually results from worry or anxiety. Stress manifests itself in many ways, physical, emotional and spiritual.
We also learned that the key to dealing with stress is securing the mind against wrong thinking and wrong feelings about circumstances, people and things. Paul tells us that the “peace of God” guards our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Peace is not the absence of trouble. In John 14:27 Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” In John 16:33 He says, “I have spoken these things to you so that you might have peace in Me. In the world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.”
So experiencing “the peace of God” is not experiencing the absence of trouble and tribulation; it is experiencing God’s shalom or peace in the midst of your storm.
In fact when Paul wrote Philippians, he was in the midst of a storm—he was in prison, chained to a prison guard. The church he wrote to in the city of Phillipi, was in the midst of several storms:
False teachers were threatening the church –
Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision. (3:2)
For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ (3:18)
Two sisters in the church were feuding-
I beseech Euodias, (aka “odious” meaning hateful) and beseech Syntyche, (aka “so touchy” feelings easily hurt) that they be of the same mind in the Lord (4:2)
The Bible lets us know that although your life might be stormy, you can be stress-free in the midst of storm and so Paul continues in Philippians 4 to give us three conditions that must be met in order for one to conquer worry and experience the secure mind: Right Praying, Right Thinking and Right Living.
Last time we looked at Right Praying. Today, we are going to look at the subject of right thinking.
Right Thinking
(Phil 4:6 NKJV) Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
(Phil 4:7 NKJV) and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
We have already seen how stress and worry can be abated if only Christians would practice “Right Praying.” I submit to you today that you and I can also decrease worry which leads to stress if we would only begin to practice “Right Thinking.”
We experience the “peace of God” as we submit wrong thinking to the Word of God. It’s kind of like the song that Bishop Paul Morton’s choir sings, I Am What You See, which has the lyrics:
Help me to see me
the way You see me
sometimes I see pain Lord
when You see victory
I see where I am Lord
You see where I shall be
open my eyes, help me believe
I am what You see
(Repeat)
You see me victorious
You see me faithful
You see me believing
that You are able…
…open my eyes, help me believe
I am what You see.
When thoughts and feelings try to take hold of us, and when they don’t agree with what the Word of God says about us, we need to discard those thoughts and feelings and think right.
Remember, worry doesn’t accomplish anything. Our anxious thoughts will not make our children safer at school. Worrying about finances will not make our employers increase our salaries. In fact, Psalm 37 tells us that fretting only leads to more trouble.
Wrong thinking leads to wrong feelings and wrong feelings lead to wrong actions. Jesus tells us that worrying about our finances is a result of wrong thinking concerning our relationship with our Heavenly Father. He makes this point in Matthew chapter six.
25“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
28“So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
Jesus’ point is this: If you think wrongly about your Heavenly Father—if you think that your Heavenly Father doesn’t know what you need, then you will most certainly worry about what you will eat, what you will drink and what you will put on.
In Philippians chapter four, the Apostle Paul teaches us how we ought to think as Christians – this is what we are calling “Right Thinking”
8Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are right, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
In verse 6 and 7 Paul shares with his readers how to deal with anxiety and worry—he says pray—pray regularly, pray for everything, pray specifically and pray fervently. In verse 8 he lists several things we should meditate on in order to secure our minds against the onslaught of worry, which can lead to stress. Let’s look at each of these:
Whatever things are true
The first category of things we are encouraged to think on is “whatever things are true”
A survey on worry reported that only 8 percent of the things people worried about were legitimate matters of concern! The other 92 percent were either imaginary, never happened, or involved matters over which the people had no control anyway.
My father died when he was 46 years old. He died of a cerebral hemorrhage. As I approached 46 years of age my mind was overwhelmed with the thought that it might be my time to go. That was almost ten years ago; I stressed out over something that didn’t happen.
We need to think on the things that are true. Much of our worrying about people, things and circumstances would cease if only we would learn to meditate on the things that are true.
What is truth? In John 17 Jesus, knowing that He would be departing soon, prayed for His disciples. He prayed to His Father saying, “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them (set them apart) by Your truth. Your word is truth.”
In Psalm 119: 30 and 43 the writer says, “I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart on your laws. Do not snatch the word of truth from my mouth, for I have put my hope in your laws.” The Psalmist is saying that he finds the things that are true in the Word of God.
This is teaching us that much of our worrying about people, things and circumstances would cease if only we would learn to meditate on the Word of Truth. Why? Because it is the Word of God that directs our thoughts; it is the Word of God that sifts or filters the bad from the good. It is the Word of God that helps you to tell the difference from truth and error. If we are to deal with the mess of stress we are to meditate on the things that are true.
2.) Whatever things are noble
The word “noble” is also translated “honorable” or “worthy of respect” and characterizes the kinds of thoughts we should think on. In other words, it is the Christian’s responsibility to restrict his or her mind to dwelling or thinking only on thoughts that are worthy of respect—i.e., honorable thoughts.
Thoughts will enter your mind without you even asking for permission to come in. My question to you is, “Which thoughts are worthy of your respect?” “Which thoughts are not?”
Having eight kids, I have seen my share of sibling rivalry. My children, like many others, will pick out physical characteristics of their siblings and exaggerate them with their name calling.
When one runs to me saying, “Daddy, so and so called me (fill in the blank), I would ask, “Do you think you are that way?” I have taught my children there are some things that people will say that you need to ignore as much as possible. There are some things that should be like “water off a duck’s back” when it comes to your thought life.
There are thoughts that you and I do not need to entertain—they are not worthy of our respect. It’s like that Orkin Pest Control commercial with the termite ringing the doorbell disguised as a pizza man to gain entrance… “Here’s your pizza; let me set it on that (wooden) table.” When the Orkin truck pulls up it makes a quick getaway.
In 2 Corinthians 10:5 Paul not only tells us to stop the thought from gaining permanent residence in your mind but to “demolish arguments and all intellectual arrogance that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
In Philippians chapter four Paul tells us how we are to think in order to have a secure mind and the peace of God. In 2 Corinthians chapter ten, Paul gets very practical and tells us to destroy destructive thoughts on your doorsteps. You “demolish” arguments that don’t agree with what God says about you in His Word.
In other words, when the enemy tells you that God doesn’t care about you --you cast that thought down with truth from Scripture like Hebrews 4:14-15 that says the believer has, “a great High Priest…Jesus the Son of God who understands our weaknesses, for He faced all of the same temptations we do, yet He did not sin.”
When the enemy tries to deceive you into thinking that God has forsaken you, you cast that kind of thinking down with Romans 8:35-39 that says:
35Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or are hungry or cold or in danger or threatened with death? 36(Even the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
38And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can’t, and life can’t. The angels can’t, and the demons can’t. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can’t keep God’s love away. 39Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Paul says we can “take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ’s Word.”
* When that lustful thought tries to slip in the door of your mind, you take it captive using the truth of God’s Word.
* When doubt and unbelief attempts to make inroads into your mind, you utilize the knowledge of God to render it impotent.
* When fear and anxiety threaten, you meditate on what God’s Word declares concerning the love, protection and provision He has made for you—and cast those anxious thoughts down.
But many Christians don’t take dishonorable thoughts captive as the Scripture commands, but invite them in, serve them dinner, watch a video, have dessert and even invite them to spend the night.
Notice that Paul says in 2 Corinthians 10:5, “We demolish arguments” and “We take captive every thought…” The point Paul is making in our text is that you and I need to go on the offensive and think only on things that are worthy of respect.
3.) Whatever things are right
8Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are right...
“Noble” thinking is casting away thoughts that may not necessarily be sinful but are not worthy of giving them the time of day. For example, if someone says you sing because you want the “applause of men” and you know that it is not true, that thought is not worthy of your respect.
But if you begin thinking romantically about that woman on your job or that man who lives across the street, and you are married, you need to demolish that thought because it is not “right.” The word “right” refers to what is upright or just, conformable to God’s standards and thus worthy of His approval.
When Scripture says we are supposed to “think on things that are right,” it means we are to cast down thoughts that are sinful and do not conform to God’s righteous standards.
God’s righteous standards are found in His Word. Psalm 33:4 says, “For the word of the LORD is right and true…” Sinful thoughts lead to sinful behavior says the Word of God in James chapter one.
Jas 1:13 When someone is tempted, he shouldn't say that God is tempting him. God can't be tempted by evil, and God doesn't tempt anyone.
Jas 1:14 Everyone is tempted by his own desires as they lure him away and trap him.
Jas 1:15 Then desire becomes pregnant and gives birth to sin. When sin grows up, it gives birth to death.
Jas 1:16 My dear brothers and sisters, don't be fooled.
If you and want to deal with the mess of stress, we do so by right thinking. We are to think on “whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are right…” and then number four in our list, “whatever things are pure…”
4.) Whatever things are pure
The word “pure” emphasizes moral purity. Pure (hagna). This is the word for “all sorts of purity. These are clean thoughts, words, and deeds.
It is difficult for us to think on the things that are morally pure while living in a world that is constantly bombarding us with sensuality, filth and other anti-Christian values.
Things that produce morally impure thoughts:
* Internet pornography
* Romance novels and Soap operas
* Unwholesome music lyrics
* Supermarket tabloids and magazines
* Filthy jokes and “water cooler” conversation
* Facebook, YouTube and other social media
* Talk shows like Jerry Springer and some of those so-called court TV shows
Things that produce pure thoughts
* The Word of God
* Wholesome music and literature
* Christian fellowship – (aka, “righteous” talk) – By the way, “true fellowship” centers on the Scriptures and a relationship with Jesus Christ. When was the last time as a man you got together with other men and discussed the Scriptures and not sports? When was the last time you, as a woman, got together with other women and fellowshipped around the Scriptures?
In order to deal with the mess of stress, Christians need to think on the things that are pure.
5.) Whatever things are lovely
The word, “lovely” means “beautiful”, “attractive”, “pleasing”, “charming” and “appealing”. This category of things we need to think on is important as we consider our relationships with people.
This word is for those with a critical spirit. The person with a critical spirit can only see the dark side. They always seem to focus on the “bad” about a person or situation. There could be 100 good things about you, but the person with a critical spirit will focus on the few problem-areas in your life.
The person with a critical spirit not only focuses on the dark side of others, he focuses on the dark side of himself. Critical people focus on their hurt, and discomforts, their pain from rejection and oftentimes their criticisms arise from their own insecurities and need to puff themselves up by knocking others down.
Did you know that, as a Christian there is something lovely about you? No, I am not taking you where some have traveled, saying that we have worth and because of that worth that we should love ourselves.
I am saying that as Christians, first, we are made in the image of God and secondly, God has invested the lifeblood of His only Son to make us His sons. The Bible says to think on the things that are lovely. Lovely means, beautiful, attractive, pleasing, charming and appealing.
* It is very appealing to me that as a Christian, I am blessed in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
* The revelation of God in Christ is attractive to me. This revelation in Scripture tells me that “I am chosen in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. “
* Scripture tells us that “In love God predestined believers to be adopted as His son through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will—that’s a “lovely” thing!
* It is a beautiful thing that in Him we were chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will
I am very pleased to know that I have been marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing my inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
When I feel the temptation to worry about my relationship with God I have to think on these things—the things that are lovely, pleasing and appealing.
If you and I are to conquer worry and experience the secure mind we need to think right. And, in order to think right we must think on things that are true, noble, right, pure, and lovely.
6.) Whatever things are good report
The sixth category of things we are exhorted to think on is “whatever things are of good report.” “Of good report” means “worth talking about.”
Have you ever had someone come to you with a report about a close friend? Now, whether that report was true or false you don’t know but you do know that it stayed on your mind. Perhaps it even drove a wedge between you and your friend.
Proverbs 6:28 SAYS, “A troublemaker plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends.”
The devil would have you to meditate on the negative things (if there are any) concerning your church leadership. This is why Paul writes in 1st Timothy 5:19, “Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses.” In other words, anything outside of an unsubstantiated, unverified report is gossip.
The problem is that gossip can come disguised as a good report but the end result is a lot of stress. Proverbs 18:8 says, “What dainty morsels rumors are—but they sink deep into one’s heart.”
When someone comes with a report about anyone, you and I are going to have to ask the proper questions in order to keep gossip from entering our mind and heart.
* Have you talked to the person at the center of discussion about this?
* Were you an eyewitness to this or did you hear about it from another source?
* Is this just gossip and hearsay, or are you trying to bring about a Christ-honoring resolution?
If it is not “of good report” it is not worth talking about.
6.) If anything is…
8Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are right, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
Suddenly Paul changes the sentence structure to what are called conditional clauses. He uses the words “if anything is” which is a rhetorical device that forces the reader to exercise his or her own discernment and choose what is “excellent” (NIV – virtue) and “praiseworthy.”
I am reminded of The Last Crusade, the Indian Jones movie where Indy and his father are on a quest for the chalice of Christ—the cup that Jesus Himself used to drink from during the Lord’s Supper. Legion had it that the cup had powers so that anyone who drank from it would become immortal and live forever.
Towards the end of the movie, they found a table of goblets guarded by a 1500-year-old knight and had to choose the correct one used by Jesus. There were all kinds—goblets made of glass, gold and other materials.
Indy has to find this “miracle” cup because his father was shot and was dying—he needs the cup’s power to save his father’s life. The villain of the movie was also looking for this prized treasure and pushed Indy out of the way and grabbed a cup and drank from it.
All of a sudden the villain turns into a grotesque figure of a man, then decomposes right before everyone’s eyes and dies. The old knight says at this point, “He chose badly.”
Indian Jones looks amongst the other goblets and remembers that Jesus was a humble carpenter and wouldn’t have used anything extravagant like a gold or crystal chalice—He would have drank from something a poor carpenter would have used.
In the midst of all the fancy goblets he spotted a wooden goblet and used it to dip some water and drank. Everyone watched to see if Indy would die like the man who drank before him. When He lived, the knight said, “You have chosen wisely.”
I think this is what Paul is communicating in our text, “…if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” In other words, the Holy Spirit through Paul is telling us to choose wisely what is “excellent” (NIV – virtue) and “praiseworthy.”
“Think” or “meditate on these things” is in the present middle imperative. Paul is saying here that you and I are responsible for our thoughts. We are the gatekeepers, and through the power of the Holy Spirit and the knowledge of His Word must hold them to high and holy standards.
We may not be able to control what thoughts knock on our minds door but we do have control over which thoughts we let enter and stay. Someone has widely said, “A bird may land in our hair, but we don’t have to let it build a nest there.”
Paul writes, “Brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are right, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report…meditate on these things.
It is very interesting that the adjectives Paul uses not only describes right thinking, they describe our Savior.
* He is the One who is righteous and true
* He is the One deserving of honor
* He is pure and altogether lovely and worthy of our praise
Right thinking is thinking on Jesus! Right thinking is meditating on Jesus! Do you know Him?
Pray with me if you sense the need to trust Christ today: “Lord Jesus, I have sinned against you. I have been trying to run my own life according to my own rules. I believe that you died to take my sin away. I trust you now as my Savior from sin and the Boss of my life. Amen”
