DOUBLE EDGED INSTRUCTIONS (II)
“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.” Philippians 4:8-9 NIV
Peace is not the absence of problems, I am sure you have heard this statement many times. The peace that God gives, which is not like that the world promises, is an unshakable conscience that enables you and I to outlast the circumstances at hand without necessarily denying them.
In our theme scripture, Paul paints a picture of the kind of thoughts a sanctified mind should entertain. Things noble, right, true, pure, praiseworthy, lovely and admirable. Many would argue that this is hard, and it is, hence an invitation to be intentional about our thought life because to this admonition, there is a complementary clause for what happens if one is: the God of peace will be with you.
Many argue that such thinking is hard, and it is. That is precisely why Paul treats it as an intentional discipline rather than a passive drift. The peace of God flows where the God of peace is welcomed. And the God of peace dwells richly where His thoughts are meditated on and His instructions are put into practice.
Scripture says we have the mind of Christ, and from that we reach for the mind of Christ even when our emotions resist. In choosing this narrow way, we discover the fruit of a life that is not just informed by truth but transformed by it.
May the meditations of your heart be pleasing to God.
Prayer: My Father, I thank you for this wisdom. My mind is sanctified by your truth, and through this I dwell on things ethical and divine. Strengthen me to practice what your spirit reveals, as the God of peace remains with me as I walk in obedience, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
CI.
RELATED RESOURCES
• Romans 12:2
• Colossians 3:2
• Psalm 19:14
