Continuing with our Philippians 4:8 Guidelines

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.   

Philippians 4:8

 

Ok - So I have been talking a lot about the Philippians 4:8 principal about how we think. Many times our thinking is where we are attacked the most.

 

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about

 like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.   

1 Peter 5:8

 

And because of this, I would like to share a great quote that will give us a good idea of where our thinking should go - especially when we are tempted to think outside of the Philippians 4:8 guidelines.

 

"It would be well for us to spend a thoughtful hour each day in contemplation of the life of Christ. We should take it point by point, and let the imagination grasp each scene, especially the closing ones. As we thus dwell upon His great sacrifice for us, our confidence in Him will be more constant, our love will be quickened, and we shall be more deeply imbued with His spirit. If we would be saved at last, we must learn the lesson of penitence and humiliation at the foot of the cross."

 "Desire of Ages" pg. 83

 

I hope that this quote blessed each of you as it blessed me.

Here is a link if you would like to go check out the whole chapter in which this quote was found, Or if you would like to start at the beginning of the book - go to the bottom of the page and you will see several choices of where to go - Table of Contents is on option. This book has been a real blessing to me and I see myself reading it again in the future. God bless. :O)

Wrong Thinking

Over the last several months, no.. probably the last year, well maybe even my whole life, I have struggled with wrong thinking. You know that kind of thinking that leads you to doubt, worry, fear, and anxiety?

Well over the last week or so- God has really been trying to work with me on this wrong thinking. I've really been struggling- dwelling on some negatives in my life and it has not done me one bit of good.

As I've been struggling, a certain verse keeps coming up. I was looking through a journal that I have that I started a couple of years ago. In this journal I write great quotes from books that I read. That way when I am struggling, I can read through the quotes and find encouragement and guidance.
Here are a couple of great quotes that I found:

"Any permanent progress in life starts on the inside and spreads to the outside."

 

"Remember that joy is an outward sign of inward faith in God's promises."

(both quotes from The 4:8 Principal by Tommy Newberry)

 

After reading the quotes already written, I remembered a good book that I had read and had a fair amount of excellent quotes in it. Quotes that had been go to quotes when I was discouraged.

So I went and got my Loving God with All Your Heart book by Elizabeth George. 

 

One of the first quotes that I came across was:

 

"Thoughts about things that are untrue and unreal will drain our life and our energy. Obeying the command of Philippians 4:8, however helps keep our bucket full and our energy available to serve God. Thinking on what is true and real frees us to be used by God."

 

This was when I realized without a doubt that God was trying to remind me to live by the 4:8 principal. I had already learned this several years ago, but I had allowed that truth to slip away.

 

 

 

So I learned I needed to change my thinking pattern. And not allow the negative things to take up so much space in my brain. I need to keep Philippians 4:8 in mind and when I am beginning to feel anxious, worried or fearful- I need to remember:

 

7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

2 Timothy 1:7

 

When we surrender our lives to Him - He is faithful to continue to work with us and to complete the work that He has begun in each and everyone one of us. We just have to be willing. We need to be the clay and allow Him to mold us. Without God we can do nothing(John 15:5).

 

So I am going to print this verse out and tape it tape it a couple of places around my house as reminders of what I need to be thinking about and hopefully I can begin some new habits of thinking on these things:

 

    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.   

Philippians 4:8