In Philippians 4:8, the Apostle Paul writes, “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.” For the Christian, this verse functions as a filter for a Christ-like life.
Our actions are directly connected to our thoughts and feelings. Psychologists explain how this works with something called the Cognitive Triangle. What happens is that your thoughts control your feelings, and your feelings drive your actions. Because these things are connected, if one of those elements are altered, then the others are also changed.
From a Biblical perspective, Proverbs 23:7 comes to mind: “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” If we tend to think badly about something, then our thoughts impact how we feel about it, and the resulting action is we shun it. For example: if someone comes to the assembly thinking “worship is going to be lame today.” They will feel apathetic and disengaged. Their actions will include frowning, being unpleasant, and not being able to experience the blessings of worship.
On the other hand, if we think well about something, then our thoughts impact how we feel about it, and the resulting action is we embrace it. For example: if someone comes to the assembly thinking “worship is going to be great today!” They will feel excited and ready to praise God. Their actions will include smiling, singing with zeal, active listening and participating. They will be blessed by the experience of worship.
Let’s “think about such things” in Philippians 4:8 so that we can be the kind of Christian that God wants us to be. To do that we ask: Is it true? To know what is true we check the source. The ultimate source of truth is the Scriptures. We also ask: Is it noble? In other words, is what we’re thinking about something that builds dignity and respect. Another question is: Is it right? This does not mean right by worldly standards, but by God’s standards. Our thoughts should agree with God’s ways and character. Still another question: Is it pure? The thoughts we meditate upon are to be godly, motivated by sincerity and honesty. Is it lovely? We are to think about those things that reflect the mind of Christ. Things that include: love, mercy, grace, and kindness. What about admirable? We should think those things that Christ would think and would not tarnish our character or the cause of Christ. Finally, we should ask: Is it excellent or praiseworthy? In other words: if our thoughts were shared with Christ, would He think we should think them? Our thoughts should be the kind that Christ approves and would encourage others to give glory to God.
To have the kinds of thoughts Philippians 4:8 asks of Christians takes time. It takes thinking. It takes effort. It takes practice. Regardless, in order to “think about such things” we need to begin thinking about such things.
