Today's Truth
Philippians 4:8-9 "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. Whatever you have learned or
received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will
be with you" (NIV).
Friend To Friend
Martha was so frustrated with her marriage. She had dreams of marrying her knight in
shining armor who would leave flower petals on her pillow, be distracted by her beauty,
and pledge his undying love on a regular basis. She dreamed of having three doting,
obedient, well-mannered children that she could dress-up in cute little outfits and parade
down the church aisle on Sundays. Her tidy home would come with a well manicured
lawn, two and a half baths, and perfectly coordinated décor. She would be the happy
homemaker who joyfully mopped the beautiful kitchen floor in her size six khaki slacks,
shabby chic blouse, and stylish hair cut. She could almost picture Mr. Clean winking at
her from the corner of the room, giving his hearty approval of the smile on her flawless
face. But life had not turned out like Martha expected. Her knight did come along, but
his armor began to tarnish soon after they said, "I do." He left his smelly socks on the
floor, had a love affair with the TV remote, and hardly noticed all the work she did to
keep the house clean and orderly.
Life sure has not turned out the way I thought it would. I am bored and unappreciated.
Romance: that's what I want. This man wouldn't know romance if it hit him in the face.
Why should I care how I look? He sure doesn't care about his appearance. Look at that
gut? He complains about me gaining weight? Well, he hasn't seen anything yet. I've
made a huge mistake. I just want someone who will love me and appreciate me. Is that
too much to ask? And the kids? They never do what I ask. They're disobedient, loud,
and messy. I don't know when I've seen a clean floor last and I'm sure not happy while
mopping. And where is Mr. Clean anyway? The enemy had slowly crept in while
Martha was unaware. Unmet expectations became the breeding ground for the lies to
grow. He planted the seeds of discontent one disappointment at a time. Rather than
thinking how she could make her marriage better, she begins to think about how she
could get out of it. Rather than enjoying her rambunctious spirited children, she loathed
their energy. Rather than being thankful that she had a home and family to clean up
after, she complained about the dirt.
Martha just needs to give her life to Jesus, you might say. But she has! She is a
Christian, so on top of her disappointment with life, she adds guilt to it all. I'm a bad
Christian. If I was a better Christian, I'd be happy. What's wrong with me? The enemy's
trademark is stamped on this woman's thought life. He has taken her down a road of
stinkin' thinking'. While she assumes that these thoughts are her own, the enemy makes
the suggestion. She simply buys into them and they soon become her own version of
reality -- her own version of the truth. But it is not God's truth. When we know the truth,
the lies stick out like a two ton elephant in a herd of sheep.
Paul gave us an effective lie detector through which to filter our thoughts in Philippians
4:8-9.
Finally, brothers, 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. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in
me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Now that is a lot to think about, considering that the mind thinks about 130 words per
minute. But the good news is -- we are not on our own. God has given us the power of
the Holy Spirit to enable us to do all that He has called us to do. Paul doesn't just leave
us with the qualifying list; he gives us the means by which to implement it. "Whatever
you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice."
It takes practice! Practice! Practice! Practice!
But look at the result..."And the God of peace will be with you."
Let's Pray
Dear heavenly Father, help me to realize when my thinking needs adjusting. I know that
I cannot act differently than I think. Help me to run my thoughts through the sieve of
Philippians 4:8. Then Your peace will rule in my heart. In Jesus' Name, Amen
Now It's Your Turn
Make a list of the litmus test for right thinking and carry it around with you today. Ask
yourself, is this thought:
True
Noble
Right
Pure
Lovely
Admirable
Excellent
Praiseworthy
If your words or thoughts don't pass the test, then push the delete button and
erase that stinkin' thinkin'!