
What Should I Think About?
Does God Care What I Think About?
Who Is Deciding the Things That You Think About?
I remember a few months ago, I was driving down the freeway. And along the way I was reading some of the signs and billboards along the way. Some were political advertisements. Some were sponsored by CMU, with their slogan “We Do” printed in large, bold text. There were a variety of advertisements for restaurants and dispensaries of some sort. But as I was driving along, it suddenly occurred to me – those things on the signs – they weren’t things that I would ordinarily think about. Honestly, without the billboard, a Wendy’s Baconator would be one of the last things on my mind. But I realized that by making a huge colorful sign, with large, impossible-to-miss letters on it, that company had exerted some degree of influence over what I was thinking about.
Of course, billboards and yard signs aren’t the only things that are competing for real estate in our thought-life. Every time you turn on the TV, you’re going to find commercials – commercials you didn’t ask to see. Commercials that entice you to think about things that you previously had no inclination to think about. If you’re browsing different webpages on the internet, it’s common to have pop-up advertisements telling you what shampoo will make your hair glimmer like gold, or what dogfood will turn your pet into a superhero. On your social media feed, much of what you see there is simply click-bait – irrelevant articles that are designed to capture your attention. Even at the fuel pump, there’s a video blaring at you, telling you about the newest health food supplement, or gas station special.
There are a million different voices in the world that are competing for the chance to break in to your mind, and to tell you what you should be thinking about. And because these various forms of advertising are so effective in drawing us in, and directing our thoughts, we need to be careful what we’re setting our eyes on. We need to be careful about what we’re listening to. More than this, we need to be careful about what we’re setting in front of our kids, and what kinds of pictures or videos we’re sharing with our friends. We need to carefully consider – what will we be filling our minds with? What kinds of messages are we letting inside, to shape our affections and attitudes? What or who are we spending our time thinking about?
This morning, we’ll continue working through the book of Philippians. And the man that God worked through to give us this part of the Bible – the apostle Paul – he urges the Philippian Christians, not just to say right Christian things, or to adopt right external behaviors, but he also urges them – and this is directed toward us, as well – he urges us to contend for a right way of thinking. So if you haven’t already, please turn with me to Philippians, Chapter 4. If you’re using one of our church Bibles, you can find our text on page 923. I’ll be reading from Philippians Chapter 4, verses 8 and 9. But before I do, please join me once again in prayer:
[Pray and Read Text]
Over the past several weeks, we’ve been working through a section in Paul’s letter where he’s been giving a variety of different instructions for how the Philippian Christians should live. Make sure you see this, though – Paul isn’t saying, “Obey these commands if you want God to love you and let you into heaven.” These commands aren’t the entry point that brings us into a relationship with God. Instead, doing these things is evidence that we’ve already been brought into a relationship with God, through faith in Jesus. It isn’t our work that makes us right with God – but it’s the work of Jesus.
So Paul’s concern throughout this part of his letter has been to help the Philippians understand how God’s mercy and salvation should practically impact how they live. And Paul’s giving us the last of his practical instructions, here, in our text. This is why Paul starts verse 8 by saying Finally. He’s wrapping up, emphasizing, and summarizing what it means to live in light of the realness and trustworthiness of God’s Word.
If I’m standing out in the cold, with a negative 10 degree windchill – and I know that I’m standing next to heated building that’s open to the public with an unlocked door – I’m going to be motivated, rightly, to find shelter in the warm building. If I’m driving on snowy roads, and I’m coming up to a sharp curve that advises me to slow down to 35 miles per hour – if I have any grasp on reality, I should slow down to 35 – or possibly even 15 mph – to make sure that I don’t take an unexpected cross country skiing trip. If we really believe that God’s Word is real, and that His ways are good, and that there are real dangers to our souls that need to be avoided – it will impact how we live, how we speak, and even how we think.
At the heart of these two verses, there are two basic commands. First, we need to Give thought to our thinking. And Second, we need to really practice what we’ve received. So I’ll unpack the text under these two main headings: Give thought to your thinking. And really practice what you’ve received.
Really Think about Your Thinking
So the first command, here, is to give thought to your thinking. We see this in verse 8. Paul urges us, “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” – and then here’s the command – “think about such things.” Paul is helping us to understand, if we have a right understanding of the good news, and of what God has done to save us – the effect should be that we would be setting our mind on certain, noble things.
And this isn’t a new point in our text this morning. Paul has already had a lot to say about what it means to have a Christian mindset. He calls them to share a united mindset and love in Chapter 2, verse 2. In the same chapter, in verse 5, Paul tells them to have the mindset of Christ. In Chapter 3, verse 15, Paul urges those who are mature in the faith to have his same mindset, in eagerly desiring Christ and the promise of resurrection. Paul also warns against having the wrong mindset, in Philippians 3:19 – he describes false teachers by saying, “their end is their destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame with minds set on earthly things.” And then as we saw a couple weeks ago, in dealing with the conflict between two women who were fighting in the church, Paul urges them in to “agree in the Lord,” or literally “to have the same mindset” in the Lord.
And so the command we see, here, in verse 8 is a climax and a consolidating of all these commands about how we should think as Christians.
The first thing we need to give attention to, then, is what the Bible says we should be thinking about. Paul lists out eight different descriptions – which is quite a few things to be hit with at once. I think for many of us, when we’re reading through the Bible, it can be easy for us to see a list like this, and for whatever reason, whether it’s out of impatience or mental laziness, we don’t take the time to really think about what these things mean. I’m guilty of this myself. But it’s worth our while to slow down and really consider what the Bible’s talking about, whether the Bible is listing out eight things, two things, or twenty things.
So first, the Bible says we should be thinking about whatever is true. And just to make sure we’re clear here – Paul wasn’t using the word true the way many 21st century post-modern people do. He wasn’t saying, “think about whatever is true for you” as though truth is just a matter of someone’s opinions or experiences. Instead, he’s saying, we need to be thinking about what’s actual, and real, and reliable. Specifically, we need to set our minds on the truth revealed by God.
Practically we do this by listening to the Bible, reading the Bible, reflecting deeply on the teachings of the Bible, and committing parts of the Bible to memory. And more than just thinking about all this in a really private, individualistic sense, it should also be normal for Christians to think about God’s truth together – to spend time talking together about the Bible and applying it to life situations.
And I don’t think that it’s an accident that Paul tells us to think about whatever is true first. Because filling our minds with truth will keep us from living according to falsehood, or empty speculation. And setting our minds on truth is how we’ll learn what types of things belong to the other seven categories that come later in this list. Before we can even know what it means for us to think about things that are honorable or just and so on, we first need to know what honor and justice truly are. The truth of God’s Word teaches us what’s really valuable and virtuous. So whatever is true – the Bible says, think about such things.
Second, we’re told that we should also think about whatever is honorable, or respectable. And this means, practically, that we should give our attention to honorable people, to consider their example. We should set our minds on doing things in a way that’s ethical and upright. The ideas we spend time thinking about shouldn’t be things we’d be ashamed of.
Third, we’re told we should also think about what is just. We should be thinking about how to uphold moral rightness in how we live. We shouldn’t hold other people to a different standard than we hold ourselves. We shouldn’t show preference to people who are popular and well-educated, while despising people who are poor or ugly. But in our thinking, we should make a point of pondering and enjoying what real justice looks like.
Fourth, we’re told we should also think about whatever is pure. The word here is connected to the idea of holiness. We should think about the Holy Spirit, and about the Church, the holy people of God. We should think about the holy angels, and their worship and service to God. And we should think about what it means for our words and deeds to be holy – to be set apart for God. Whatever is pure… think about such things.
Fifth, the Bible says to think about whatever is lovely. The things that excite good affections and loyalty – the things that are pleasing, things that fill us with greater gratitude and appreciation for others – those are the things we should think about. So practically, this means we should regularly think about great acts of love from the past, to stir up our love in the present. Contemplate often the suffering of Jesus Christ on the cross. With self-sacrificial love, he died to save his enemies from destruction, and to bring us into peace with God. And in addition to this, think about the love that people have shown you – mothers and fathers who fed you, and cleaned up after you – who lost sleep because of you. Grandparents who taught you and cared for your well-being. Friends who rebuked you when you were being a dunce, and who were committed to you even during those awkward years of Middle School. Lovely demonstrations of love are the sort of thing that Christians should have on their minds.
And there’s a sixth thing we should think about here: whatever is commendable. The word translated as commendable is a little difficult to translate – but it suggests that we should be thinking of ways to speak well of other people – to draw attention to the positive qualities of other people and things. We shouldn’t give ourselves over to a critical frame of mind, constantly finding faults in other people. We shouldn’t fill our minds with juicy gossip, or to pass on slanderous rumors. Instead, if we’re passing along anything, we should be thinking of ways to commend others, and to communicate good reports and words of blessing.
And then, Paul goes on to say if there’s any excellence – that that’s the seventh thing we should be thinking of: excellent things – or we could also say virtuous things. I think there was once a time in America when people took very seriously that they wanted to grow up and become a person of great virtue – to be someone honest, and self-controlled, and merciful, and judicious, and wise. But I think for most people today, people aren’t interested in virtue. They just want money, a healthy body, a nice car, a family, a house, a retirement plan. They pay a lot of attention to the external stuff of their life. But they neglect something much more important! – their own character – their own heart. And the Bible’s pointing out to us here – if there is any virtue (any excellence), which there is, then we need to think about it. The most important thing about your life isn’t the quantity of your stuff, but the condition of your soul.
And finally, Paul gives us item number eight: we should be thinking about things that are praiseworthy – about things that are truly worth speaking highly of. Too often, we can get songs stuck in our heads that have pointless lyrics. Or you might replay parts of a movie in your mind, because they seemed funny or memorable for some reason. But Paul wants us to fill our minds with things that are truly worthy of our attention and approval. If something isn’t worthy of your praise, then it very well may not be worth your time to think about it.
But, I want to quickly clarify, here – the Bible isn’t prohibiting us from ever thinking about tragic things, or conflict, or other problems we’re going to face in our fallen world. We’ll of course need to grapple with things like that. But as we’re processing those events and issues, we should be thinking about how to respond in a way that’s true, honorable, just, pure, and all the rest.
So kids, let’s think about how this applies to you. Imagine that you’ve been drawing a picture – and it’s by far the best picture you’ve ever made. But suddenly one of your friends, or maybe a sibling, comes over with a permanent marker and draws a big ugly “X” over your picture before you even know what’s happening. What types of thoughts usually pop into your mind when something like that happens? Are they friendly thoughts? Are they helpful thoughts?
Probably not. Normally when that happens, all you want to think about is how sad you are that your picture is ruined, or how angry you are at your friend, or how much revenge you want to get. But God is telling you and I here, in the Bible, to respond with different types of thoughts. Instead of believing the lie that your friend destroyed your future by damaging your picture, you should remember what’s true – that for the one who trusts in Jesus, your future is safe and secure. Instead of thinking about the loveliness of the picture that was ruined, you can be comforted with the loveliness of God that can never be destroyed. Instead of living like you have an excuse, now, to be mean and hateful to your friend, think about the virtue and praiseworthiness of Jesus, who was patient in suffering and who gave forgiveness to his enemies. Accepting the good news of what Jesus has done for you – it should transform how you think.
So when bad things happen, we shouldn’t give ourselves over to bad thoughts. But we should be determined to fill our minds with what’s good, just as God tells us.
And I want to point out four reasons why this is so important for us to do. For one thing, keeping these eight categories in mind will lead us to think more deeply about the greatness of God. God is the one who is supremely true, and honorable, and just, pure, commendable, lovely, excellent, and worthy of our praise. There are many other things in the world around us that give us glimpses of these eight qualities – and it’s good for us to think about those things, too, and the different ways that God has made his goodness tangible and visible to us. But our thinking shouldn’t be content to fixate on created things if we’ve really encountered the glory and worth of our Creator. For the Christian, there is no greater thought – no one who deserves more ownership over our thoughts, than Him.
It’s also important to pay attention to this command, to think about such things, because it shows that God’s authority extends over every part of us. And because of his kindness and care for us, God earnestly desires for his saving power to be worked out in every area of your life, including your thoughts. He doesn’t want your mind to be controlled by sin – for your thoughts to be false, disgraceful, prejudiced, perverted, slanderous, hateful, immoral, and offensive. But in his saving mercy, he wants to set you and I free. He wants our inner being to be transformed, to reflect Him, and the radiance of his character.
So keep in mind here – God isn’t just concerned with outward appearances. I think we sometimes imagine that God only cares about the things we say, or about the things we do – because those are the things that are actually visible to us and other people. As long as our bad thoughts remain hidden and invisible, we might assume they aren’t a big deal. But God sees it all. Nothing is hidden from him. If we think we’re fooling God, we’re really just fooling ourselves. God’s desire for us isn’t just that we’d look right, from the outside – but that we’d actually be right, living out our whole lives with faith in Jesus.
There’s another practical reason, though, why this command about our thinking is so important. At some point in your life, I’m sure a number of you have struggled with intrusive thoughts. It could be thoughts you had as a child – intrusive thoughts that bad guys were climbing into the house. Or other thoughts have perhaps popped into your mind more recently – indecent images, thoughts of self-harm, sudden pangs of panic, crushing sensations of guilt.
But I want to point out in our text – God’s Word to us isn’t just “Empty your mind of bad thoughts.” Because the issue is that when we try to empty our minds, there are often new thoughts that immediately rush to fill the emptiness. And even if we could empty our thoughts completely, there would be nothing inherently Christian about thinking like that – because our God isn’t a God of emptiness, but of fullness. So instead, He urges us to rightly direct our thoughts by filling our minds with aspects of his goodness. We wage warfare against intrusive thoughts by filling our mind with other thoughts in their place.
And I want to point out one more reason why thinking about such things is important for us. In this command, God tells us what we should delight in – what we should desire. God isn’t telling us to fill our minds with boring, cumbersome, useless trash. Instead, God wants his people to recognize that all eight of these qualities are precious and valuable. These things don’t just deserve to have a place in our minds. They also deserve to have priority in our affections. As your heart is being changed by the saving grace of God, and the work of the Holy Spirit, these eight things describe the sorts of things that you and I should be learning to love.
Really Practice What You’ve Received
But more quickly now, let’s consider Paul’s second command, that appears in verse 9. He says, “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me – practice such things, and the God of peace will be with you.” The basic command here in this verse is that we should follow Paul’s example. A few weeks ago, I spent a good deal of time unpacking a similar command that Paul gave at the end of Chapter 3 – in verse 17. If you didn’t get a chance to hear that sermon, you can find an audio recording on following the example of the apostles on our website, for our church in Mount Pleasant, MI. Back in that verse, Paul had said “Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.”
And Paul’s reiterating the same type of instruction here, in verse 9. Whatever they’ve learned from hearing Paul’s teaching, or whatever they’ve received by seeing Paul’s example, those are the things that the Philippians should be putting into practice. As I said last week, when commands are repeated, that means they’re important. And the same is true in this case.
We, like the Philippians, should make sure that we’re well-acquainted with the message and the methods of Paul and the other apostles, that’s laid down for us here in the Scriptures. That’s the example that we, too, need to follow. The Christianity of Paul is true Christianity. That’s essentially what the Bible’s saying here. And if we stray away from that – if we aren’t committed to Christ, His Word, and his people, the Church – then we’re inventing a false version of Christianity that’s out of line with Paul’s example. If you hear people say that forgiveness of sins is dependent on our performance, or that we should be praying to saints, or that you need to speak in tongues to have assurance of salvation – make sure you understand, those are false version of Christianity. They don’t line up with Paul’s example. If someone claims to be a new, prophetic, apostolic leader who will bring new commands and new guidance to the church – keep in mind that the New Testament doesn’t encourage us to look for people like that. In fact, we’re warned against them.
Instead, we are urged to look to the example of Paul and the other apostles – to put into practice what we have learned, what we have received, what we have heard, and what we have seen. This is God’s will for the Church – for all Christians. And the purpose of this isn’t just so that the truth can be preserved for our own sake. But this is necessary, in order to make sure that the truth is passed on to others. Your words – your way of life – it’s going to have an impact on people. Your example will either be true, or it will be false. It will either direct people to Jesus, or distract people from him. The way you practice your faith matters – for you, yes, but for many other people, as well.
Now, taking a step back from all this, though, I just want to make sure we’re all on the same page. Keeping a list of commands like this – that’s not the reason people are saved, or why they get into heaven. Because our hearts are corrupt and stained with sins. We’ve already messed up and broken God’s rules many, many times. And even our best attempts at doing good are contaminated with traces of pride, jealousy, and idolatry. Getting into heaven – getting cleaned up and saved – it cannot come through our works. The Bible’s very clear on this. Instead, God’s the only one who can make things right. And God has done this, by sending a sinless Savior, who was perfect in all his words, and all his actions – and yes, even in all his thoughts! And this Savior, Jesus, lived a perfect life, in order to give us the credit for his absolute obedience. And Jesus died to take the punishment for our wrongs, until there was no punishment left to fall on us. And he did this so that through faith, those things that Jesus did would be applied to us. That’s how we’re cleaned up and brought back to God – by admitting our need for Jesus to wash us, and to make us new.
And when we’re brought to God, he relates to us as a Father. In the Bible, He tells us to give up bad habits, and to live by his commands. Our Father’s commands aren’t aimed at crushing us under a burden, or annoying us, or punishing us. But he speaks this way because He wants what’s good for us. As we’re surrounded by advertisements, social media, and ten thousand other shouting voices and distractions, God wants our minds to be set free from whatever’s polluted and pointless, so we can find peace.
Paul ends verse 9 with a comforting promise for Christians, similar to the one he gave at the end of verse 7: “Practice these things – and the God of peace will be with you.” Is your mind finding peace these days? Do you know anything of what it means to experience the peace of God? Brothers and sisters, pay attention to what examples you’re watching, to what voices you’re listening to – to what you’re thinking about. Put before your eyes the sorts of things that will promote thoughts that are substantial, and satisfying, and glorious. Turn your eyes to God himself – and enjoy his peace. Let’s close in prayer: