August 24-Philippians-The Journey of Joy
Write out the Scripture.
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.
Observe what it is saying.
Several years ago, I participated in a training event on coaching to walk with others through a particular issue, decision, transition, or challenge in life. We were trained by Jane Creswell who created the whole coaching environment at IBM in 1997. A coaching environment causes individuals to get better at what they do and, then, the whole organization gets better at what it does. The bonus for our training was Jane is a Christian. She said she had a calling since she was 19 to be a missionary to the corporate world. Before she began coaching, she was a top-level executive at IBM. After her last promotion, she was called into her boss’ office who said, “You have to cut out the Jesus talk.” It was then she knew she had a dilemma and was inspired to start a coaching environment at IBM. She sold it to her boss and IBM took the risk, bought into her idea, and saw financial results. Through her coaching, she still couldn’t bring up Jesus, but her clients would bring up faith issues, and she would have the opportunity to coach them to Christ. She now has her own coaching company where she trains others. Coaching is different from a consultant, counselor, or a mentor in that these persons have the knowledge and expertise that the client is looking for. With coaching, instead of seeking an answer from an outside professional, the assumption is that the client has the knowledge within them that can lead to their own answer. The coach’s job is to help the client to think differently and to think through to make new discoveries. This week the Apostle Paul will be our coach to help us think well so we can live well.
Relate it to your life.
My thoughts determine the quality of the life that I live.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, change my thoughts to make them Your thoughts each moment of each day. Amen.
August 25-Philippians-The Journey of Joy
Write out the Scripture.
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.
Observe what it is saying.
Paul tells us to think differently so that we can put appropriate Christian character into action. He gives us the outcome that the God of peace will be with you. He identified this attribute to emphasize that he’s coaching us how to increase peace in our daily lives. Last week, we discovered that prayer brings peace. So does getting our minds in the right place. We are to spend our time thinking on the very best things. Since we are citizens of heaven, we are to think like heaven does. In his other letters, Paul often repeats this theme. In his letter to Romans he says, “The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.” (Romans 8:6) The Holy Spirit filled mind is where we gain the fullest sense of life and peace. As Romans 12:2 says, the power of the redeemed mind is continually being renewed so that the Holy Spirit can transform us into brand new people.
Relate it to your life.
When I think like Jesus, I will live in peace like Jesus.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, by the presence and power of Your Spirit, take over my mind so I think like You. Amen.
August 26-Philippians-The Journey of Joy
Write out the Scripture.
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.
Observe what it is saying.
Paul offers us 7 great qualities that we are to think about. We might not remember all seven, so let’s see if we can condense them to 3 Super qualities that cover all 7. In doing so, let’s ask three questions about godly thinking. The first question, “Is it true?” Truth is our friend. Jesus is the truth. As difficult as the truth is to hear sometimes, we desperately need to hear it. As difficult as it is to tell at times, we still need to speak it in love. Jesus said the truth will set you free. So, we need to think truthfully about God, about ourselves, and our relationships with one another. We cannot compromise truth without compromising reality. When we refuse to discover what is true, then, we refuse to think honestly about the core nature of God. If we are serious about our discipleship, then Scriptural truth is our core curriculum. There are so many false messages that are stealing reality from people of all ages. It is unfortunate to be so skeptical, but we must be more discerning about every post we read and every message being proclaimed through every media platform. The testimony of Scripture is that Satan is a liar who deceives and plants seeds of doubt about God just as he did with Adam and Eve. Because they failed to seriously discern what was being fed to them, they compromised their lives, their home, and their future all for a lie.
Relate it to your life.
Truth is foundational for every relationship and every society to be established and maintained.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, make me cautious and wise to discern what is real so as not to be deceived. Amen.
August 27-Philippians-The Journey of Joy
Write out the Scripture.
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.
Observe what it is saying.
The second question we should ask, Is it pure? It is the same root as the word, holy. Such pure thoughts consider how we set ourselves apart from sin. They refuse to entertain or toy with sin. Jesus said, “out of the heart come evil thoughts.” Jesus connected our mind and heart just as Paul did. Paul was concerned for these early churches when it came to the area of morality, especially, sexual immorality. In the larger metropolitan cities of the Roman Empire, there seemed to be few moral boundaries. So, Paul was candid when he instructed his churches about appropriate sexuality. Paul and the whole counsel of Scripture made it clear that sex outside of marriage was sin. This is why we need to have a biblical understanding of God’s design for sexual purity in marriage. Everything seems to be permissible in our current culture as it was in Paul’s day, but it is not in agreement with God’s way. Because we have been wired for holy relationships, when we mess with the wiring, it can be emotionally, spiritually, and physically devastating. God’s design for intimacy within the bond of marriage is for our overall spiritual wellbeing.
Relate it to your life.
My inner thought life needs to be kept pure so that I maintain purity in my lifestyle.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, help me to reject the false messages that do not uphold the sanctity of marriage. Amen.
August 28-Philippians-The Journey of Joy
Write out the Scripture.
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.
Observe what it is saying.
The final question for thinking well, Is it praiseworthy? I am locating the qualities of being noble, lovely, admirable, and excellent under this one question. For thoughts to be praiseworthy, they need to rise to the level of offering praise to Jesus. If Jesus were listening in on the conversation of our thoughts, what would He think? By the way, through His Spirit, He is listening in! Are we thinking of the ways we can grow our faith, deepen our fellowship with other believers, increase our love by serving, and honor God by trusting Him with our concerns? It is so important to put ourselves in a positive atmosphere because brain research tells us when we think the same thoughts over and over, they create actual grooves or pathways in our brain. These pathways become wider and easier for similar thoughts to travel. For example, the more we think anxious thoughts, the easier it is to have anxious thoughts in the future. Without knowing brain science, Paul told the Philippians they needed to create new pathways for their brains. Praiseworthy thoughts are the gateway to a changed life filled with great joy and peace.
Relate it to your life.
What I choose to think literally changes the chemistry of my brain.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, may my thoughts bring You continual praise as I employ the most excellent thinking. Amen.
August 29-Philippians-The Journey of Joy
Write out the Scripture.
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.
Observe what it is saying.
What we set our minds to thinking is what we will eventually become. So, let’s protect our brains. Let’s protect our hearts and minds so that we will fully experience the God of peace within us. We have incredible power to choose what we let in, think upon, and what highways we create for future thoughts to travel. In all matters of our walk with Christ, we want to consistently practice what we profess. We cannot separate our outward lifestyle from our inward thoughts. What we keep thinking upon is what we will believe and act upon. Paul told the Philippians for the second time in this letter to follow his example. He willingly put himself out there as their teacher and model. He demonstrated that godly thoughts and godly actions create a unified faith and life. They provide the pathway for the God of peace and the peace of God to fully take up residence in our minds and hearts in the presence and power of Jesus. So, let’s get used to filtering our thoughts, words, and actions by asking, Is it true? Is it pure? Is it praiseworthy? When we do this, it will pay off huge dividends for our spiritual wellbeing.
Relate it to your life.
God’s peace is a gift that is fully received when we think and pray the thoughts of heaven.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, take control of my thoughts, my mouth, and my life. May they all work together to create a life that is filled with truth, purity, and praise unto Your glorious name. Amen.
Write out the Scripture.
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.
Observe what it is saying.
Several years ago, I participated in a training event on coaching to walk with others through a particular issue, decision, transition, or challenge in life. We were trained by Jane Creswell who created the whole coaching environment at IBM in 1997. A coaching environment causes individuals to get better at what they do and, then, the whole organization gets better at what it does. The bonus for our training was Jane is a Christian. She said she had a calling since she was 19 to be a missionary to the corporate world. Before she began coaching, she was a top-level executive at IBM. After her last promotion, she was called into her boss’ office who said, “You have to cut out the Jesus talk.” It was then she knew she had a dilemma and was inspired to start a coaching environment at IBM. She sold it to her boss and IBM took the risk, bought into her idea, and saw financial results. Through her coaching, she still couldn’t bring up Jesus, but her clients would bring up faith issues, and she would have the opportunity to coach them to Christ. She now has her own coaching company where she trains others. Coaching is different from a consultant, counselor, or a mentor in that these persons have the knowledge and expertise that the client is looking for. With coaching, instead of seeking an answer from an outside professional, the assumption is that the client has the knowledge within them that can lead to their own answer. The coach’s job is to help the client to think differently and to think through to make new discoveries. This week the Apostle Paul will be our coach to help us think well so we can live well.
Relate it to your life.
My thoughts determine the quality of the life that I live.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, change my thoughts to make them Your thoughts each moment of each day. Amen.
August 25-Philippians-The Journey of Joy
Write out the Scripture.
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.
Observe what it is saying.
Paul tells us to think differently so that we can put appropriate Christian character into action. He gives us the outcome that the God of peace will be with you. He identified this attribute to emphasize that he’s coaching us how to increase peace in our daily lives. Last week, we discovered that prayer brings peace. So does getting our minds in the right place. We are to spend our time thinking on the very best things. Since we are citizens of heaven, we are to think like heaven does. In his other letters, Paul often repeats this theme. In his letter to Romans he says, “The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.” (Romans 8:6) The Holy Spirit filled mind is where we gain the fullest sense of life and peace. As Romans 12:2 says, the power of the redeemed mind is continually being renewed so that the Holy Spirit can transform us into brand new people.
Relate it to your life.
When I think like Jesus, I will live in peace like Jesus.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, by the presence and power of Your Spirit, take over my mind so I think like You. Amen.
August 26-Philippians-The Journey of Joy
Write out the Scripture.
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.
Observe what it is saying.
Paul offers us 7 great qualities that we are to think about. We might not remember all seven, so let’s see if we can condense them to 3 Super qualities that cover all 7. In doing so, let’s ask three questions about godly thinking. The first question, “Is it true?” Truth is our friend. Jesus is the truth. As difficult as the truth is to hear sometimes, we desperately need to hear it. As difficult as it is to tell at times, we still need to speak it in love. Jesus said the truth will set you free. So, we need to think truthfully about God, about ourselves, and our relationships with one another. We cannot compromise truth without compromising reality. When we refuse to discover what is true, then, we refuse to think honestly about the core nature of God. If we are serious about our discipleship, then Scriptural truth is our core curriculum. There are so many false messages that are stealing reality from people of all ages. It is unfortunate to be so skeptical, but we must be more discerning about every post we read and every message being proclaimed through every media platform. The testimony of Scripture is that Satan is a liar who deceives and plants seeds of doubt about God just as he did with Adam and Eve. Because they failed to seriously discern what was being fed to them, they compromised their lives, their home, and their future all for a lie.
Relate it to your life.
Truth is foundational for every relationship and every society to be established and maintained.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, make me cautious and wise to discern what is real so as not to be deceived. Amen.
August 27-Philippians-The Journey of Joy
Write out the Scripture.
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.
Observe what it is saying.
The second question we should ask, Is it pure? It is the same root as the word, holy. Such pure thoughts consider how we set ourselves apart from sin. They refuse to entertain or toy with sin. Jesus said, “out of the heart come evil thoughts.” Jesus connected our mind and heart just as Paul did. Paul was concerned for these early churches when it came to the area of morality, especially, sexual immorality. In the larger metropolitan cities of the Roman Empire, there seemed to be few moral boundaries. So, Paul was candid when he instructed his churches about appropriate sexuality. Paul and the whole counsel of Scripture made it clear that sex outside of marriage was sin. This is why we need to have a biblical understanding of God’s design for sexual purity in marriage. Everything seems to be permissible in our current culture as it was in Paul’s day, but it is not in agreement with God’s way. Because we have been wired for holy relationships, when we mess with the wiring, it can be emotionally, spiritually, and physically devastating. God’s design for intimacy within the bond of marriage is for our overall spiritual wellbeing.
Relate it to your life.
My inner thought life needs to be kept pure so that I maintain purity in my lifestyle.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, help me to reject the false messages that do not uphold the sanctity of marriage. Amen.
August 28-Philippians-The Journey of Joy
Write out the Scripture.
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.
Observe what it is saying.
The final question for thinking well, Is it praiseworthy? I am locating the qualities of being noble, lovely, admirable, and excellent under this one question. For thoughts to be praiseworthy, they need to rise to the level of offering praise to Jesus. If Jesus were listening in on the conversation of our thoughts, what would He think? By the way, through His Spirit, He is listening in! Are we thinking of the ways we can grow our faith, deepen our fellowship with other believers, increase our love by serving, and honor God by trusting Him with our concerns? It is so important to put ourselves in a positive atmosphere because brain research tells us when we think the same thoughts over and over, they create actual grooves or pathways in our brain. These pathways become wider and easier for similar thoughts to travel. For example, the more we think anxious thoughts, the easier it is to have anxious thoughts in the future. Without knowing brain science, Paul told the Philippians they needed to create new pathways for their brains. Praiseworthy thoughts are the gateway to a changed life filled with great joy and peace.
Relate it to your life.
What I choose to think literally changes the chemistry of my brain.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, may my thoughts bring You continual praise as I employ the most excellent thinking. Amen.
August 29-Philippians-The Journey of Joy
Write out the Scripture.
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.
Observe what it is saying.
What we set our minds to thinking is what we will eventually become. So, let’s protect our brains. Let’s protect our hearts and minds so that we will fully experience the God of peace within us. We have incredible power to choose what we let in, think upon, and what highways we create for future thoughts to travel. In all matters of our walk with Christ, we want to consistently practice what we profess. We cannot separate our outward lifestyle from our inward thoughts. What we keep thinking upon is what we will believe and act upon. Paul told the Philippians for the second time in this letter to follow his example. He willingly put himself out there as their teacher and model. He demonstrated that godly thoughts and godly actions create a unified faith and life. They provide the pathway for the God of peace and the peace of God to fully take up residence in our minds and hearts in the presence and power of Jesus. So, let’s get used to filtering our thoughts, words, and actions by asking, Is it true? Is it pure? Is it praiseworthy? When we do this, it will pay off huge dividends for our spiritual wellbeing.
Relate it to your life.
God’s peace is a gift that is fully received when we think and pray the thoughts of heaven.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, take control of my thoughts, my mouth, and my life. May they all work together to create a life that is filled with truth, purity, and praise unto Your glorious name. Amen.
Posted in Daily Devotionals