It's what you think

Philippians 4:8-9 NLT says, 'Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honourable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise... Then the God of peace will be with you.'

It's the good things that keep us pressing on to real resolution. Which sometimes seems crazy, because life can get pretty miserable sometimes. Not even talking international disasters here - even that essay that keeps us up to 2am can drag our mind into a rut of despair. Now, it's right to be upset about some things and to give them real thought (Isaiah 1:17 tells us to seek justice and correct oppression, and this means thinking seriously about the wrong in the world). But today's verse is asking us to consider the thoughts that define us and keep us going. Do these thoughts reflect God's truth and love? These thoughts also underpin us having 'joy'. Joy is a deep and firm thing and doesn't shake when our world does, because it comes from him who is beyond the shaking.

Yes, things do get hard, but never forget this: 'The Lord your God is with you. He is a hero who saves you. He happily rejoices over you, renews you with his love, and celebrates over you with shouts of joy' (Zephaniah 3:17 GWT).



So what now? If you have a PC/laptop/phone/iPad, change the screensaver to Zephaniah 3:17. Use it as a regular reminder to reinforce your new 'excellent and worthy of praise' thought pattern.





— SCRIPTURE —

'Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.' Philippians 4:8 NLT
— SOULFOOD —

Acts 24-26, Matt 5:21-26, Ps 94:12-23, Pro 11:16-18