Philippians 4:4-9
Verse 8 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.
The second word on the list may seem a little more confusing. Noble isn’t a word we use frequently yet is a perfect word for Paul’s list of things for us to think on. The word translated as noble can also be translated as honorable. It can also speak of a sense of something which is serious or dignified.
It is easy for us to allow our focus to land on things which have no standing in the light of eternity. The very reason this word may be on the list is because Paul was wanting his readers to understand the futility of thoughts not based on eternity. When we think solely about things which only affect this life we can get bogged down in the trials and lose heart. It is important to see what is going on around us and to pay attention to the ins and outs of day to day living but we can’t allow them to be the things which consume our every thought.
Maybe we should ask ourselves what noble thoughts are and how we are to pursue such thoughts. It seems to be more about thinking what the Lord would have us think about and that means knowing Him in all of His fullness. He has given us many noble things to think about, things which will bring us greater understanding of who He is and what it means to be a part of His kingdom.
The things of the Lord are obviously honorable but what about the times when they are serious and dignified? We live in a culture where thinking deeply is thought lightly of and that has led to a society which is known for its shallow thinking. As people of God we are to be different than the world and that begins with our thinking. There are things of the Lord which need our pondering. Psalm 119:97 says, “Oh, how I love Your law! I meditate on it all day long.” The psalmist understood the need to think deeply about the things of the Lord, not just once in a while but regularly.
Thinking on the things of the Lord will help us shift our focus from things which are wrapped up in this life and give us a bigger picture, an image of what is eternal. We need to make it our practice to spend time mulling over the words of the Lord and His thoughts. We can’t see Him for who He is if we aren’t focused on Him. He is more honorable and worthy of our thoughts than anything this world offers.
Making It Personal
What about God draws your thoughts to Him? What are some of the honorable things which occupy your thoughts? Are there thoughts were are not honorable?
Making It Personal Kids
What types of things are honorable to think about? Do you think about those kinds of things? What kind of things do you think Jesus wants you to think about?
Closing Prayer
Father, thank You for creating us with the ability to think on the deeper things of life and wanting to reveal Yourself to us. Give us a desire to think about the deeper things of You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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