“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.” – Philippians 4:8
Philippians chapter 4 provides wonderful advice on how to cope during difficult times. Verses 6 and 7 tell us to turn all our anxieties over to the Lord in prayer and experience the supernatural and incomprehensible peace of God no matter our circumstances. We could all use more of that right now!
Then Paul says to replace the overwhelming thoughts about our fears, anxieties, problems, and negativity by thinking about the good. We live in an age dominated by bad news. Partly that’s because there are truly bad things going on in the world. Partly that’s because bad news and outrage are good for ratings. Thus we easily get overwhelmed by the endless bad news cycle of TV, print, and internet media.
While we shouldn’t ignore the problems of our world (after all, Christians are to be salt and light in our culture working to heal these evils), we also shouldn’t spend every waking moment thinking about them as our thoughts spiral downward in despair or ratchet upward in outrage. We must instead discipline our minds to contemplate the good things God has blessed our world and our lives with.
God is the source of all truth, so contemplate what is true, particularly the Bible, rather than the rampant falsehoods of our post-truth culture. God is a God of honor, justice, purity, beauty, and excellence and the author of these things. Contemplate Him, contemplate them, contemplate the honorable people and things of the world, celebrate the justice of Christ’s cross, the beauty of God’s creation, the excellence that flows out of His creation and the human bearing of His image.
There is much good to think about. There truly is. We just have to work harder than in the past to see it. Think about these things! Make that effort and discover the peace that comes from a mind disciplined to look upward rather than downward.