Think on These Things

"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, 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." - Philippians 4:8 (NKJV)

It's easy to let fear take over your thinking. Paul's prescription in this verse isn't complicated, but it is convicting: resolve to think positively. Not just wishful thinking, but a deliberate decision to fill your mind with what is true, noble, and praiseworthy rather than with fear, speculation, and worst-case scenarios.

How much of the news are you watching? I'm not talking about staying informed. I mean continuously letting your mind absorb all the problems and fear-mongeringout there. At some point, you have to turn it off and start meditating on what is true, what is noble, what is trustworthy.

Think about it — you wake up in the morning, and the first thing you do is turn on the news. You eat your breakfast with the news. You drive to work listening to talk radio breaking down the news. You get to work, and everybody's talking about the news. You come home and turn on the news again. You go to bed with the news on. And then you wonder why you can't sleep, why you're anxious, why you feel hopeless. You have fed your mind a steady diet of fear, and you're surprised you're afraid.

I'm not saying be uninformed. I'm saying be careful how much you consume. There's a difference between checking the news and being consumed by the news. At some point, more information isn't making you better prepared — it's just making you more afraid. The reporters aren't going to give you peace. The analysts aren't going to give you hope. The commentators aren't going to give you strength. Only God can do that, and you can't hear His voice when you've got the noise turned all the way up.

Here's what I want to challenge you to do instead. Think of the praiseworthy things that are going on in our world right now — the places where God is using this situation in a positive way. No, it's not ideal. But at the same time, God is moving.

Personally, you can do the same. You can say, "God, I'm going to meditate on what You're doing in the midst of all that I'm going through right now. It's not ideal. I'm going to ask You for what I need, but I'm going to trust You. I'm going to thank You in advance. I'm going to thank You for what You're doing in my life. And then I'm going to resolve to have a positive outlook."

That's not denial. That's not pretending everything is fine. That is faith. That is choosing to put the magnifying glass on God's power rather than on the size of your problem.

The word "think" means to "meditate," which carries the idea of muttering something over and over and over again. God says in Joshua 1:8, "This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate therein day and night, that you may observe to do all that is written therein — for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success."

Don't you want success? Don't you want to be prosperous? The promise in Joshua 1:8 is tied to one thing: meditating. Meditate on what? Meditate on God's Word. Not on the problem. Not on the crisis. Not on the worst-case scenario. On God's Word.

Proverbs 4:20-22 says, "My son, attend to my words, incline your ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from your eyes. Keep them in the midst of your heart, for they are life to those that find them and medicine to all their flesh."

The Word of God is medicine to all your flesh. It heals. It restores. It brings life to what is broken.

Now, I want to make sure you understand what the writer means when he says, "My son, attend to my words." Here's an example that makes sense to me. Suppose you came up to me and said, "Pastor Josh, I need your attention." And you notice I'm walking kind of fast, moving with purpose. And I say to you, "I want to talk to you, I want to help you, but there's first something I must attend to."

Now, am I saying that what you need isn't important? No. What I'm saying is that I have something more important that I must attend to first.

That's what the writer of Proverbs is saying in Proverbs 4:20. He's not saying the other things in your life aren't important. He's saying, this is of the highest importance. My son — put My Word first. You want to experience God's peace? Put God's Word first. You want to walk through this crisis without falling apart? Put God's Word first.

Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of a good report — meditate. Think on these things.

So, decide today to have a positive outlook, not because everything is perfect, but because God can handle it. Your situation has not changed, but your perspective has.

Reflection Question: Are you meditating on your problems or on God's Word, which promises His power to help you with your problems?

Heavenly Father, I confess that I have spent too much time looking at the problem and not enough time looking at You. Help me to turn off the noise and open Your Word. Teach me to meditate on Your promises again and again until they go from my head into my heart. I choose today to look for what You are doing in the middle of what I'm going through. I thank You in advance. I trust You. And I resolve to have a positive outlook — not because of my circumstances, but because of You. In Jesus' Name, amen.

Adapted from: "God's Answer for Worry": https://www.joshfranklin.org/media/2m83fmg/9-god-s-answer-for-worry