PURE PURSUITS
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.
Philippians 4:8 (NLT)
What do you think about most often throughout the day?
Stop and really think about it. As you commute from one obligation to the next, what's on your mind? When you're daydreaming when you should be working, where does your mind go? What occupies your focus more than anything else?
I think in our broken world, it's easy to fixate on the negative. Any day of the week, you can find a story of geopolitical tension that can deeply unsettle you. There's violence both abroad and here in America. Good people suffer while the wicked seem to prosper. And that's to say nothing of the tensions and tumult you personally experience on a day-to-day basis. I think for the average American their mind is filled with negativity, apathy and discouragement.
For those of us who follow Christ, our focus should be different. We're not called to ignore or dismiss the negativity all around us. In fact, bringing light and life to a dark and dying world is our mission! Instead, we fix our thoughts on Christ. We refuse to be mentally undisciplined, allowing our thoughts to carry us away. We take every thought captive, bringing it under the authority of Christ. When we consciously commit to this course of action, we'll find ourselves less susceptible to being deceived and destroyed by the lies of the enemy and this world.
So, how can you fix your thoughts on Jesus today? Paul gives us some instruction to that end. We're to fix our thoughts on what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely and admirable. This certainly begins with Jesus Himself. Just stopping to reflect on who He is. But then I think we can go a step further and remember what He has done. You can recount His faithfulness to those we read about in the Word. You can also consider how He has revealed Himself in your own life! Naming and counting our blessings is a powerful exercise in our pursuit of relationship with Christ.
APPLICATION: Write down at least ten ways you've seen God's goodness in your lifetime. It can be to you personally, in the lives of loved ones, or the world at large. We're refusing to be inundated with all the negative around us! We're focusing on what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely and admirable.
PRAYER: God, thank You for who You are and what You've done. Help me to take every thought captive, refusing to allow the lies of the enemy and negativity of the world to lead me away from You. Help me to fix my thoughts, above all else, on You. In Jesus' name, amen.
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?