‘Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. ‘ Philippians 4:8-9
I’ve written on this passage in the past, I’m sure. I know I have referenced it in a sermon, as well. It’s been brought to mind again, as I believe it is one we should have at the ready at all times.
There’s an expression, “you are what you eat”. There’s a measure of truth in this. What you put into your body, what you consume, determines what happens to your body. If you eat healthy, you’ll more likely be healthy and feel better. Likewise, what you focus on mentally, what you consume in thought and mind determines the quality or lack there of in your mental state.
So, what do you think on the majority of the day? Pick a specific instance from yesterday, something that came up. It can be anything. What were you thinking about before hand, during and after? How did you feel? What was the result? Are you satisfied with it? Do your thoughts and focus correlate with the results? I’m betting the answer is yes. Bottom line, where your focus is, more importantly, where you choose to focus and and choose to perceive things within and around you, greatly determines the outcomes in our life and our perception of things. We all know “glass half empty” types. Perhaps you are one. When that’s the focus, things are seldom good. When our focus rests squarely on Jesus Christ and the good in the people places and things provided by Him, we are provided a peace that is unshakeable. Whether you choose to believe it or not, the lovely, good, pure, and true is always present in the form of Jesus and can be found in all circumstances, if we choose to look, see and focus. When this becomes an intentional objective and pattern of thought, the choices we make become clearer and the obstacles in life become conquerable. Choose to dwell on this. Have a blessed weekend.
In full pursuit of the greatest Trophy
