Philippians
4:8 “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.”
This verse is probably the original
proclamation of positive thinking. Positive thinking is not a religion, but a bi-produce
knowing our Almighty Creator Father God and His gospel plan revealed in His
Holy Word. Having “the eternal perspective” of whose we are and where we will
spend eternity produces the “count your blessings “ attitude that shines beyond
any and all circumstances in life. When we grasp and know that when you “go
down”, you “go up”, then that naturally causes us to keep a “light hand” on the
things of this world, because God is ultimately in control. In Philippians 4:8,
we certainly find the things that everyone desires. If we fill our hearts,
minds and souls with the truth, the noble, the just, the pure, the lovely, the
good, the virtuous and the praiseworthy as defined by and aligned with the Lord
God, then we will be ennobled and uplifted in positive thinking.
2 Corinthians 4:13-18 It is
written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we
have that same spirit of faith, we also
believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the
dead will
also raise us with Jesus and
present us with you to himself. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is
reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow
to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though
outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being
renewed day
by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an
eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix
our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what
is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
I read that one of the greatest
tragedies in our time is that because of their separation from God, our culture
fills our minds with the opposite of all these wonderful godly, stating that self-based
existentialism, focusing on people, places and things instead of God, is the key
to the “abundant life”, but demonstrate the unjust, the unfair, the ungodly,
the unkind, the deceiving lies, the insensitive, the obscene, and the ghastly. With
all the godless vile vices pouring out of our television sets, movie screens,
radio, books and magazines of today, our society is not liberated enlightened
or open-minded, but declines into depravity. My dad has completely stopped
going to the movie theater because he was having to walk out of just about every
movie due to filthy language and disgusting godless living in the films. Rejection
of God is the trademark of the sinful nature of the fleshly desires, the godless
world system and the devil. God sets the standards by which this world is to
operate and live, yet gives all the freedom to accept or reject Him and them
with consequences for our decisions, reserved for judgment. Thus, the good and
the bad, the light and darkness, the wheat and the tares coexist for now. Justice
is not in this “fallen” world yet.
1 John 2:15-17 “Do not love
the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of
the Father is not in him. For all that is in the
world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not
of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who
does the will of God abides forever.”
It is true that the God-rejecting
gutter is real. But roses are just as real. The godless lawlessness of the
unholy trinity’s gutter is neither the only reality, nor the highest reality. Media
producers are constantly saying that they only reflect reality, but life is
more than the gutter. Set your thoughts on things above. Go to a
Bible-believing church to nurture your faith and personal relationship with God
– your Maker in prayer, worship and fellowship with the body of Christ. Surround
yourself with whatever is lovely in the eyes of the Lord and you will be lovely
too. God is the source of all that is good and true and lovely. And our Lord
Jesus chest is the altogether Lovely One.
In Christ, Brian
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