Our thoughts, if known by others, should be such that they would give us praise and commendation for them. Our thoughts should be about things that are approved of by God and other people. We should avoid all thoughts that are worthy of blame, condemnation and criticism.
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How often do we think excellent thoughts? So many of the things I think about are average everyday things and trivial pursuits. Our lives today are filled with general information and trivia that consumes all of our thoughts. It is amazing how much information we have to deal with. Technologies like the internet and television, with hundreds of stations and 24 hour news, are causing us to drown in information. It is impossible to keep up.
God does not want us to drown in trivia, He wants us to think excellent thoughts (Phil. 4:8). Excellent thoughts are morally good and righteous. They are worthy of our time and attention as children of God. They stand out from and above the common thoughts of people as more virtuous and valuable. They are the kind of thoughts that Jesus thinks.
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We are to have thoughts that God and other people would speak well of us for having. If we are thinking commendable thoughts then we should be able to say them out loud. When other people heard those thoughts, they would respect and admire us for what we said. If we would be condemned or lose respect for saying what we are thinking then those thoughts are not commendable.
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When we look at God’s creation we see beauty everywhere. We see beauty in the sun, moon, stars, oceans, mountains, canyons, flowers, trees, birds … this list can can go on and on.
God wants us to think thoughts that have the same kind of loveliness and beauty (Phil. 4:8). Lovely thoughts are acceptable to God and other people. They are pleasing and likable. If our thoughts are not lovely then they are ugly, offensive and unacceptable.
Lovely thoughts will result in a lovely lifestyle that will attract people to us and to Christ in us.
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God wants us to have thoughts that are pure and not contaminated by sin. (Phil. 4:8) Our thoughts can be contaminated by our own sinful desires as well as from the influence of other people and the world system around us that is controlled by Satan.
Something that is pure is free from defilement or corruption. Pure thoughts are not corrupted by the world and its philosophies. They are based on truth and not error. They are right and not wrong.
The source of all pure thoughts is God. We can be confident that all thoughts that truly result from God and the bible are pure thoughts. He put His Holy Spirit in each person who believes on Jesus, helping us think pure thoughts. The Holy Spirit does this by revealing to us the mind of God and His will for us. He teaches us about Jesus and produces the mind of Christ in us.
As we allow the Holy Spirit to fill and control us, our thoughts become more and more pure. As we take control of our own lives, our thoughts become less and less pure.
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God wants us to think thoughts that are right, righteous and just. (Phil. 4:8) These kinds of thoughts are in line with God’s law. They are approved of by and acceptable to Him. They are thoughts for which God would not judge any person.
In addition to what is just before God, we also need to think thoughts that are just before other people. Our thoughts need to be in line with man made rules and laws as well, things that are right and fair in the eyes of men. The exception to this is when the rules and laws of men contradict the laws of God. God’s laws come first.
Often times we find ourselves in positions of authority or influence over other people. We need to make sure our thoughts toward them are not wrong or unfair. Our thoughts must be in accord with what is right, just and lawful. Any judgments, opinions, or advise we give should be impartial, unbiased, fair, without prejudice and most importantly, right in the eyes of God.
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Much of what our minds are filled with is trivial and not worthy of spending our precious time on. Many other things we think about are selfish and self-centered. There are things we would be embarrassed for other people to know. There are also things other people would be shocked know about us.
God wants us to focus our thoughts on things that are honorable. (Phil. 4:8) Honorable things are serious, noble, worthy of respect and consistent with high character.
We tend to fill our spare time and thoughts with trivial amusements. We would be much more fulfilled and entertained during those times if we focused on honorable things that are worthy of respect, such as God and the needs of other people.
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The United Negro College Fund has had the slogan “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” for as long as I can remember. It is indeed a terrible thing to waste because what we think determines what we do. God is also concerned that we not waste our minds and our lives as a result.
What determines whether or not we are wasting our minds? It is determined by what we think. What then should we think? God says we should think on true things. (Phil. 4:8)
True things are factually accurate and based in reality. Anything that originates from God and the bible can be trusted as true. It is the Holy Spirit’s job to reveal these true things to us. Jesus said, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” (John 16:13) John, also referring to the Holy Spirit, wrote “But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything—and is true and is no lie, just as it has taught you—abide in him.” (1 John 2:27)
Thinking true things also means not thinking false things. False things are factually inaccurate and usually deceptive. Anything that originates in the world should be suspected as being false because Satan is the ruler of this world system. He is a liar and the father of lies. In his first conversation with a person, he lied to Eve and convinced her it was true. As a result of her false thinking Eve brought death on herself and every other person born into this world. We must be careful because lies are always presented as being true.
In order to change our thinking, we need to make an honest and objective assessment of what we normally think about. To do this, make a list of the things that occupy your mind regularly. With the help of the Holy Spirit and the bible, determine whether those things are true or false? Then purposefully stop thinking false thoughts by replacing them with true thoughts. The best way to fill our mind with true thoughts is to spend time every day reading, studying or memorizing the bible.
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Obviously, the things that we think about are very important. They have a significant impact on how we feel and the way we act. In order to become what God wants us to be and to experience fullness of life in Christ, our minds must be renewed and transformed.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Rom. 12:2)
But that is not the way you learned Christ!–assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. (Eph. 4:20-23)
As believers in Christ, our thoughts should be different from the world’s and from what they were before we knew Christ. Our natural tendency is to think selfish, sinful and corrupt thoughts. We have to purposefully focus our thoughts on Christ and godly things.
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. (Phil. 4:8)