“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things” (Philippians 4:8 NIV).
My mom has always been a songbird. Not only does she have a powerhouse of a voice, but she is also a great songwriter, too!
When I was about seven years old, my mom wrote a song based on Philippians 4:8. She ended the song with the following words: Set your mind on these things.
These words are directly in alignment with a scripture found in Colossians 3:2, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” At seven years old, I remember loving the melody of the song she wrote. I loved the words. I also loved hearing my mom’s voice (and still do). Now, at age 28, this song hits entirely different.
According to a recent study, the average person has approximately 6,200 thoughts per day. Only we are privy to our own individual thought patterns. However, I am sure a large portion of us think on things that are completely opposed to things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy.
Our media is partially composed of images, ideas, fear-mongering headlines, unrealistic beauty standards, societal standards, fantasy, and more. Couple that with our own personal struggles and the happenings of everyday life; it is no wonder why daily, we must set our minds on things above.
When we think a certain way consistently, it will eventually become a pattern. A thinking pattern is essentially a repeated way of thinking that is unconsciously habitual. Just like setting our minds on earthly things can turn into a pattern, so can setting our minds on things above. The mere fact that scripture instructs us to think on things above should provide comfort. This means that setting our minds on the things of God is without a doubt necessary, but absolutely possible.
I am preaching to myself, trust me. My way of thinking has been skewed for years. I am a soon-to-be formal queen of mentally replaying my mistakes, flaws, who I am versus who I am not, the happenings of the world, and even the should’ve, could’ve, would’ve’s of life. I am a work in progress, but proud to be in progress.
The beauty of setting our minds on the things of God is that we have the greatest help in doing so.
God will help us.
The more time you spend praying, fasting, reading the word, living in obedience, and truly seeking God, your thought pattern will begin to shift. When you truly seek God, you will become so full of him and his desires, that you begin to take on a thinking pattern that is right in alignment with his very thoughts of you.
Prayer: Thank you, God, for instructing us to think on things above; to essentially keep you at the forefront of our minds. We pray that you reverse our patterns of thinking and bring our thoughts in alignment with yours. Transform and renew our minds. Instruct us individually on what to silence in order to hear your thoughts more clearly. Amen.
Your turn:
What areas do you struggle with in your thinking?
Do you have successful methods that combat negative thinking?