Think On These Things

“Whoever Believes…” p. 122

“…whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think on these things.” (Phili. 4:8)

The challenge before each and every person who lives in the Kingdom is the pressure of the world (and it’s ways) to push our thoughts into responding and reacting negatively to what happens around us. We know the drill… life is full of frustrations, disappointments, ill-treatment, disrespect – things that are anything but honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy. This is the natural “flow” of this world – fallen as it is.

Jesus told us as much… “In the world you will have tribulation…” (Jn. 16:33) This world, and it’s ways, pushes us down and seeks to trample us back into the dust from which we came.

Jesus came to lift us up and place us into the joy and wonder of the King and His Kingdom.

The defining difference is going to be our thinking – what we “think on.” The easiest thing for any of us to do is to think according to the “natural” ways – responding with anger, frustration, even violence to the ever-present “tribulations” and “trouble” of this life. Our responses will always follow our thinking – the what that we “think on.”

If our thoughts dwell on the “ways of this world” we will respond to “tribulation” just as every other person of this world responds. But if we fix our thoughts on the ways of the King and His Kingdom (the things that are honorable, right, pure, lovely…) we will find that the raging turmoil brought by the tribulations of this life have limited effect on our spirits. We will have the “peace of God… that passes all understanding” as the dominating feature of our lives – determining that our responses align with the King and His ways.

As Kingdom people we are totally equipped to think on all the things that are “excellent and praiseworthy” even in the midst of the pressures of the tribulations of this earth. We are Kingdom people, responding just as the King Himself responds to whatever this world may bring (see Jesus!).

This is true because we are “in Jesus.” The rest of John 16:33 delivers this wonderful news… “I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace… take courage; I have overcome the world!” No matter what surrounds “whoever believes” we are always privileged to be “in Jesus” – and in Him we are fully able to overcome whatever this world throws at us. Because HE has.

The key (our responsibility) is to “set (our) minds on things above, not on earthly things.” (Col. 3:2) And to always “think on these things.”