I Quit - Pt 4

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:4-9 ESV). Today’s reading is a part of a larger passage from the Apostle Paul as he closes his letter to this dear church in Philippi. He loved them. From prison he writes some last thoughts and encouraging words. I am actually preaching through this chapter over the next few weeks at my church in Tennessee. They are some of my last words and thoughts for a congregation who is very dear to me. Our reading today is a key part of the transformation process God has designed for us. Yesterday we saw the declaration of Paul to surrender. I want us to look at some practical means to accomplish this over the next few days of our series. So, first, let’s start with what it means to surrender our minds. There are many examples throughout the Bible of what this involves. In our reading today, Paul outlines some things to focus our minds on: whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, or worthy of praise. He has said the same thing in other passages; however, here he is a little more specific. The writer John Gill has said that unless our affections and thoughts are set on things above, those things “will never be sought after in a proper manner.” Look at the list again. Think about things that are true. These are those things that are clear in the Scripture. These are not just the commands of Scripture, but the promises of God and the provision of our heavenly Father. These things are true; think on them. He then says we are to think of the things that are honorable and just. I wonder what difference we would see in our homes and communities if these things were our first thoughts in the midst of every circumstance. Next he lists pure and lovely things. Wake up a bit early just to see the sunrise; gaze to the west as the sun sets. That will give you a perspective of the greatness of God in a fresh and exciting way. The last three are important; they are commendable, excellent things that are worthy of praise. These are the things that really make a difference in the world. Think on them. This kind of thinking sets us on a path to real change. This is the first step toward genuine surrender. What are you thinking about these days?