Philippians 4:8
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.
There is something satisfying about complaining. Why is that? It may feel good to point out the things that are going wrong, or the things others do which we know or believe to be wrong or misguided. Sometimes this serves the purpose of making us feel better about ourselves. But it is hard to imagine complaining leading to actual growth. Complaining about others is a distraction. It keeps me from looking at myself and what I could be doing better. Focusing on what is good and noble and lovely gives me a positive goal, and an excellent and beautiful frame for my day.
Holy Lord,
May I seek out good,
Focus on what is lovely
And set my day there.
Amen
Becky, transforming
Thursday, May 23rd, 2024
Philippians 4:8
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.
When I find my thoughts being the same as the enemy, I try to remember to give these thoughts to God. This is what prayer is. Telling God that I cannot carry these burdens, and confess that I need his help. As long as I am worrying I am not trusting God. it is only by trusting God, having faith and confidence that I am able to become stronger. If there is any excellence …anything worthy of praise…
Philippians 4:8 is one of my favorite verses because it works so well and so quickly.
Thank you Lord for your presence with us, any time of day or night. Amen
Philippians 4:8
Yes, this what we should do, but we are so easily distracted by the news, by social media, and by our own selves. I haven’t felt like myself the last few days and am not sleeping well so, of course, my focus is on myself instead of all the wonderful things around me—lots of family coming for the long weekend and all the memories we will make. Just writing this is helping me focus less on myself and more on the lovely times ahead.
Prayer: Gracious God, help me to focus on all the good around me and on all the excellent things to come. Amen
Philippians 4:8
It takes mental discipline to focus on things true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy. Why is that? With so many good things to choose from, we still let ourselves be distracted by negativity in all its ugly guises. The sense of peace that comes from avoiding these distractions is worth the effort to avoid them, even if they seem to offer some odd attraction. Look at the verse immediately preceding ours for today. It is the peace that surpasses all understanding that will sustain us.
Prayer - Settle my mind, Lord. Keep me focused on the thoughts that are life-giving and life-sustaining. Please eliminate the attraction of the distractions and bless me with Your oeace.…