HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
This verse contains the sixth in the series of instructions.
The first and second instructions are about joy.
The third is about gentleness, the fourth about anxiety, the fifth about prayer, and now the sixth is about what you are thinking. The next instruction is to have Paul as an example.
And by saying "Finally," he draws our attention to this verse, just as he used the double emphasis on "rejoice."
Here are seven qualifications for what to think about:
- True: We should be committed to truth and reject falsehood, contrasted with lies.
- Worthy of respect: Not just truth but also moral, contrasted with attracting disrespect.
- Just: About doing the right thing, contrary to planning revenge or harming others.
- Pure: The thought should be free from sexual impurity or greed; reflective of holiness and the right motivation. For example, Jesus said, "Blessed are the pure in heart" (Matthew 5:8).
- Lovely: Reflective of love as opposed to animosity.
- Excellent: Fulfilling your purpose and contributing positively, as opposed to mediocrity, corruption, or careless living.
- Praiseworthy: Something outstanding that draws applause because of how helpful it is to people, or even many people, as opposed to selfishness.
Interestingly, Christianity has something to say about what we think.
Just before this list, Paul mentioned the peace of God standing as a guard in our hearts and minds. Now he is giving us a responsibility: a list of qualities that the thoughts we entertain should have before we entertain them.
Thoughts can come to the periphery of your heart as visitors. But entertaining them is another matter, including for how long.
James tells us that desires need time before they breed sin (James 1:15).
To neglect the thoughts of our mind is like ignoring a field; I should not be surprised if all I see are thorns and thistles rather than needed fruit.
In the parable of the sower, Jesus mentioned thorns:
"Others are the ones sown among thorns: They are those who hear the word, but worldly cares, the seductiveness of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it produces nothing." (Mark 4:18-19)
Worldly cares and anxiety make the Word unfruitful, and we do not want that. These are thoughts that run counter to the peace of God.
The peace of God should be a guard, meaning an ever-present reality in our hearts. So we pray and choose our thoughts. Both are necessary.
Paul wants us to deliberately plant the right thought seeds for the right harvest.
Rather than hoping for the best and assuming that all will be well, Paul impresses on the people the need to be personally responsible for their own thoughts.
THE WORDS WE HEAR
When the devil was able to introduce his lies into the thoughts of Eve, the rest, as they say, is history.
When the woman saw that the tree produced fruit that was good for food, was attractive to the eye, and was desirable for making one wise, (Genesis 3:6)
"When" means it was a matter of time before Eve adopted the serpent's suggestion.
See that word "desire" again. The wrong desire began with the words Eve entertained.
Eve was not careful about what she heard. Because of the words of the serpent, she entertained and embraced the wrong thoughts about the forbidden fruit.
- Thinking the fruit is good for food indicates a tendency to want to do things differently from the Word of God, which is the definition of rebellion.
- Then there is attraction, or shall we call it a fatal attraction? Eve found the fruit compelling; she was attracted to the forbidden.
- "Desirable to make one wise" is the final rung in the descent to hell, so to speak. Wrong thoughts lead to wrong desires, and even wrong justification for evil. This is where wrong is justified as good, meaning self-deception.
All these took place before the action of taking the fruit. We can therefore better understand Paul's concern in this verse we are exploring.
The words we hear are the seed of the fruit of righteousness or the seed of unrighteousness.
"You are clean already because of the word that I have spoken to you."
(John 15:3)
But not Judas, who nursed greed and was a thief in his heart (John 12:4–6).
We can be sure that the thoughts of Judas were not pure, lovely, excellent, or praiseworthy.
***
Let's allow the light of God's Word to penetrate our souls and, by choice, be selective about what we think, giving no space to the devil in our thoughts.
The road to that is not by trying to blank your mind, but by actively thinking on things as defined by Paul here, and on things that would help: the pure Word of God (1 Peter 2:2). It's called water that can wash off wrong ideas (Ephesians 5:26).
THE COMPANY WE KEEP
And can we talk about the company we keep? People we call friends, those we blend with, and those who rub off on us. People we associate with.
Paul said, "What fellowship has light with darkness?" (2 Corinthians 6:14). In another place, he said some people are darkened in their thoughts, being alienated from the life of God (Ephesians 4:18). They are futile in their thinking and darkened in their understanding. Thoughts are just wrong and are being generated from hell.
When it comes to positive associations, it is better to be alone than to be with the wrong company. That is the truth!
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