"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." We must have this check list on our hearts!
So many times bad things come our way and we do not know how to handle it. We sit and meditate on it; and even when it solves itself, sometimes we look back and catch ourselves getting those emotions again. "Why am I getting mad over what he did to me a year ago? I thought I moved on?" We must filter our thoughts! Yes, we can have time to reflect on the past, but we must not stop at reflecting. We must learn; and once we have taken what we can learn from it, forgive and forget. We must not be stuck on the past or we will never be able to step into the future. I am not talking about passing thoughts, I am talking about you sitting down and taking time to think about it. If you are sticking with a thought for thirty seconds or more, you had enough time to get rid of the thought.
Here is how we can tell that it is something worth thinking about. Is it true? Was it a lie that was told to you by a person or by your own imagination? If it was not truth spoken to you, why are you wasting time thinking of what doesn't exist? Someone told you that your car got hit but you couldn't find a dent on it. Don't keep checking it every night for a dent! If it didn't happen, it didn't happen. If you keep thinking of lies, you will not be able to tell what the truth is.
Is it honorable? Would you be able to talk about these thoughts in front of your mother? What about in front of your father? What about in front of your church leader? What about in front of your church? What about in front of Jesus? If you can talk about it in front of all of these people without shame or feeling like you were in the wrong, you are fine. If you cannot tell Jesus, you do not need to be meditating on it. "But she really deserves a beat down!" Well, vengeance is mine, says the Lord (Romans 12:19). If we should not be talking about it or doing it, why would we think about it?
Is it just? Again, if you cannot tell Jesus without feeling guilt or shame, you should not be talking about it. If it is sinful thoughts, or wicked thoughts, they should not be running through your mind all day and night. You have been made new in Christ! Why would you meditate on your old nature when Christ has made you new? If it goes against scripture, it is not just.
Is it pure? If it is lustful, hateful, or twisted thoughts, they have no room in your life. No thoughts that pervert the truth or dirty the mind belong in your life. This is more than just lust. This is about if you are thinking truths about scripture and about others. Are you judging others? Are you going over how you would talk to so-and-so in a not so loving and humble way? If so, why are you thinking about it? The old you has passed! The new you is here to stay! Do not let other people destroy your mind.
Is it lovely? Is your thought compassionate, kind, humble, loving? Is it, all together, something of beauty and peace? It doesn't have to be unicorns and rainbow and glitter; but, whatever you're thinking of should at least not be demonic and gruesome in nature. It should not be of killing humans or drinking blood or something or dark nature. Again, it doesn't have to be of unicorns and sparkling rainbows, but it should not be straight out of a horror movie.
Is it commendable? Commendable means deserving praise. Is what you're meditating on deserving praise or no? The bottom line is, even our thinking is a form of praise. Are you spending all of your time on demonology and dark arts? Even as a Christian, too much of this can be bad because if you are giving it all of your attention, you are not giving glory to God or even giving anything else time.
"If there is anything excellent..." This means that we should be thinking of big things! Whatever we are thinking of should, in some way or shape, be excellent! It should be superior, grand, large! That does not mean in size, but in quality. Your loved ones, your friends, your blessings, and of course God. What you meditate on should be of excellence!
"If there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." This wraps it all together. As I said before, thinking is a form of praise. If you are thinking of your ex from years ago all of the time, you are lifting up your ex. Whatever you think of should, in the end, be worthy of the thought. Do not spend your whole life meditating on what went wrong or who did you wrong. Why give them the time of day or the energy? This of things that are worthy to be praised!
When you keep your thoughts clean and pure, your attitude follows. Whatever you meditate on sits in your heart, and "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." (Luke 6:45) So when you meditate on evil and negative things, negativity and evil will sit in your heart, and eventually make their way out of your mouth; and we must be careful what we speak because "the tongue can bring life or death; those who love to talk will reap the consequences." If you are wondering why there is so much negativity in your life, record yourself for a day and see if you are the one speaking this negativity over yourself.
We must set our minds on higher things in order to implant higher things into our hearts and speak higher things into our lives. Our thoughts do control our reality. Are you going to think of how so-and-so did you wrong all day, or are you going to think of how greatly God has blessed you? The fact that you can read this internet blog tells me that you have a blessing or two that you could give thanks for.
-D
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