What are we habitually(regularly, often) thinking about? What we regularly think and say determines who we are!
The late Neville Johnson told a story about a mentor of his, Walter Bugler? He often had encounters with the Lord and once when he was teaching a class of Bible students the Lord stood outside the glazed door of the classroom. He went and asked the Lord to come in to the students, but the Lord said if He came into the room the students would be undone. We are incompatible with the Lord in many areas, but that can change and the beginning of the change is in our minds! We need to change how we think and what we’re thinking about most often. Our minds are being infiltrated by this world and the powers of darkness more than we know, so here’s a measuring grid to regulate our thought life.
FINALLY brothers and sisters, whatever is TRUE, NOBLE, RIGHT, PURE, LOVELY, ADMIRABLE(OF GOOD REPORT, NO GOSSIP), if anything is EXCELLENT OR PRAISEWORTHY, THINK ABOUT SUCH THINGS. Phil 4:8 NIVUK
And now, brethren, as I close this letter, let me say this one more thing: FIX YOUR THOUGHTS on what is TRUE, GOOD and RIGHT. THINK ABOUT things that are PURE and LOVELY and DWELL ON THE FINE, GOOD THINGS IN OTHERS. THINK ABOUT ALL YOU CAN PRAISE GOD FOR AND BE GLAD ABOUT. Phil 4:8 TLB
Summing it all up friends, I’d say YOU’LL DO BEST BY FILLING YOUR MINDS AND MEDITATING on things TRUE, NOBLE, REPUTABLE, AUTHENTIC, COMPELLING, GRACIOUS—THE BEST, NOT THE WORST; THE BEAUTIFUL, NOT THE UGLY; THINGS TO PRAISE, NOT THINGS TO CURSE. PUT INTO PRACTICE what you have learned from me, what you heard and saw and realised. Do that and God, who makes everything work together, will WORK INTO YOU HIS MOST EXCELLENT HARMONIES. Phil 4:8,9 MSG
Here is a last piece of advice. If you believe in goodness and IF YOU VALUE THE APPROVAL OF GOD, FIX YOUR MINDS ON THE THINGS which are HOLY and RIGHT and PURE and BEAUTIFUL and GOOD. MODEL YOUR CONDUCT on what you have learned from me, on what I have told you and shown you and you will find the God of Peace will be with you. Phil 4:8,9 PHILIPS
‘FIX YOUR MINDS’ THEN ‘MODEL YOUR CONDUCT’.
When our lives are over and we stand before God(a good friend’s wife went home yesterday) we won’t have the gifts that were loaned to us. We’ll be standing as who we are, ourselves alone and the people we have become while on earth will be obvious to all. Our lives here need to line up with the Word and with the Lord for us to be compatible up there.
God bless and keep you and make His face shine upon you.