What Do You Think About?

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. (Philippians 4:8, ESV)

This passage in Philippians always intrigued me. Through Paul, God is giving us commandments for our thought lives. God cares about the things that we let our minds dwell on. I don't know about you but I struggle with sinful or unhelpful thoughts. As an introvert, I have learned the skill of imagination from childhood. I was a shy little girl who didn't like to be the center of attention; so I used my imagination and mind quite a lot. I can see how this can be put to good work for the Kingdom of God but at the same time, keeping my mind on a tight leash has been one of my biggest struggles in sanctification.  This passage reminds me that, in Christ, there is a way to let my mind be free and enjoy the gift of thinking, imagining, and pondering that honors God. 

What Do You Spend Your Mind On?

Things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praise-worthy come from the One who is Truth, Glory, Justice, Purity, Love, Excellence, and worthy of praise. Therefore, whatever Paul is talking about must be things that come from and point to God, his character, his heart, and his mind.

What do you spend your mind on? It is fruitful to think about these things, not because of these things in and of themselves, but because they point us to God. For instance, thinking about a lovely piece of art is good; but it only becomes soul-building when it causes us to worship God, the ultimate artist, and giver of artistic gifts. God has revealed himself to us in His Word, and we who are in Christ have insights into God's very mind and heart (1 Corinthians 2:10-16, ESV). Now, that’s real food for thought.

Think About These Things

Here are just a few examples of God-glorifying, helpful, and upbuilding things to let our minds freely enjoy.

1. Worship Songs

My mind wanders the most when I have some downtime. Simply humming or playing worship songs (and engaging my mind to think about what I am singing to God) is quite helpful. 

2. Scripture Memory Practice

“I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11, ESV). Scripture memory has been one of the most helpful spiritual disciplines for me. Practicing memorizing God’s Word is a very fruitful way to use the minds he gave us.

3. Think About How to Love & Bless Someone 

Do you have a brother or sister in Christ that you can pray for, call, or send an encouraging text or gift? Maybe someone who is going through a tough time or simply needs encouragement. That is quite a lovely thing to do.

4. Ponder Scripture

I do this quite often now. Whenever I read Scriptures or listen to a sermon and I come across something that struck me, either because I never noticed it, don’t know what it means, or am just curious about it, I take a mental note for later. In those moments when my mind wants to wander, I ponder that passage or phrase (or sometimes a single word). I look at the passage again, look for commentaries, definitions, etc., and then I just think about it. I know this is not everyone's cup of tea; but, I like doing that and find it quite enriching in helping me go deeper in the Word.

5. Enjoy Nature

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” (Psalm 19:1). Many of us love nature. The next time you take a walk, look at God’s creation and think about what it reveals about him. Check out this post I wrote about 3 Things Creation Reveals About God.

What do you think? What would you add to the list?