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Putting My Thoughts into Practice

by | Feb 21, 2020 | Focus on Living | 0 comments

Read: Philippians 4:8-9

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

Reflect:

While commenting on the state of our culture, Ravi Zacharias stated that the situations that cause us to weep, reveal the condition of our hearts before God, but the circumstances that bring laughter to our hearts are also revealing.

Daily, we are bombarded by messages that will break down the boundaries God has intended for our good. Isaiah spoke of it this way –

What sorrow for those who say
that evil is good and good is evil,
that dark is light and light is dark,
that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter. – Isaiah 5:20

Evil is good? Good is evil? It’s not too difficult to come up with a couple of examples, is it?

Could it be that we fail to be moved by the pain of evil in our world and at the same time find ourselves laughing along with the things that grieve God? Are we allowing ourselves to be constantly exposed to an opposing worldview? Have we ever found yourself laughing at something we know dishonors God?

Respond:

How do we avoid becoming people with callous hearts? It seems to me that we should take intentional steps to fill our hearts (and minds) with what is good (not evil called good, but good).

Paul had a clear view of what was good and what was evil in our world. The verses at the top of this email remind us of two things:

First, discipline your mind to dwell on things that are true and honorable and right and pure and excellent in all ways. But Paul doesn’t stop there. In the next verse he challenges us to put all those good things (Paul’s teaching and example) into practice.

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