Our theme for this month: “Mistakes”
Our Bible verse for today: “Finally brothers, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable – if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise – dwell on these things.” Philippians 4:8 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “Don’t make the mistake of dwelling on bad thoughts.”
Philippians 4:4-13 is one of the greatest and most encouraging passages in the Bible. In verse four Paul emphatically calls for God’s people to “Rejoice!” He then urges us to display a gracious spirit that is evident and obvious to all. In verse six he gives us the prescription for dealing with fear and anxiety. There he tells us that rather than worrying about anything we should simply commit it to prayer and then trust the Lord. If we do that we will discover that the peace of the Lord floods our heart. In verses seven and eight he exhorts us to focus our minds on good, lovely, and pure things rather than dwelling on negative things and being pessimistic. He then moves on and in verses eleven and twelve he writes of how he has learned to be content and satisfied in whatever circumstances he happens to be in. And he sums it all up by declaring that he can do all things through Christ who strengthens him.
It’s a bright, cheerful, and excessively positive passage of Scripture written by an old man, incarcerated in a Roman prison, and probably facing execution. Amazing!
The mind set Paul models for us in Philippians 4:4-13 actually serves to illustrate by contrast a big mistake that many Christians make. In this situation we see that Paul was upbeat and positive, trusting in the Lord and singing His praises, even though he was going through some pretty tough times. Unfortunately many of us tend to do the exact opposite. When times are hard we tend to grumble and groan, we criticize and complain, we whine and whimper. All too often we indulge in self-pity as we feel very sorry for ourselves, and we want others to feel sorry for us too.
The approach Paul prescribes for Christians is to be intentional about praising the Lord. He says we should engage in extra prayer about the situation, make it a point to fill our mind with uplifting and encouraging thoughts (hymns and scripture work nicely), be content, and trust in the Lord. What will happen if you will approach your tough times like that? He tells us in verse seven, “And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
It’s a big mistake to allow ourselves to indulge in self-pity and to dwell on negative thoughts. Make it a point to follow Paul’s model in this passage. If you do, you’ll discover that you feel a lot better, those around you will be grateful and encouraged by your good example, and your problems will probably get resolved a lot faster than if you grouse and groan and wallow in self-pity.
God Bless,
Oak Hill Baptist Church 