The most important conversations you have are the ones you have with yourself.  It may not be out put, but we all talk to ourselves.  Those conversations consist of what we are thinking and how we feel about those thoughts.

Several times a day, everyday, we face a challenge of what to believe about the things happening around us.  What will we think about them?  How will we feel about them?  And of primary importance is how we think about our lives in terms of who God is and what He is doing in and around us.  Will be believe the truths of His Word or listen to some other voice instead?

Think About What You Think About

A very important discipline to help you guard your heart is to think about what you are thinking about.  In other words, be aware of where you mind is, is going, and has been.  Philippians 4:8 gives us a great guideline to fill our mind with the kinds of thoughts that will keep the devil from stealing our heart.

1. TRUE thoughts.

One of the devil’s oldest and most effective tactics is to LIE.  He lies to us about ourselves, about God’s Word, and even about God himself.  In a past blog post, I wrote about The Devil’s Three Lies and what we can do to respond accordingly.  Make sure you pay attention to your thoughts so that you do not fall for the devil’s fallacies.  Choose to believe and apply what you know to be true about God.  He is good, great, glorious, and gracious.  And He thinks you are to die for…literally.

2. HONORABLE thoughts.

Honorable thoughts go beyond the shallow, giddy thoughts of an immature person.  They are serious thoughts about important matters.  While all of us need mental recreation occasionally, we cannot allow it to remain the mainstay of our mental world.  Allow yourself to ponder the deep riches of the knowledge of God, His Word, and His purposes for your life.  Allow yourself to think deeply about God.

3.  RIGHT thoughts.

The standard for the “rightness” of our thoughts is God and His Word, not us.  Good thoughts are God thoughts.  We think the right thoughts when we think about something the way God has already declared Himself to think.  We think good thoughts when we agree with God.

4. PURE thoughts.

Pure thoughts are unblemished by influences that are not consistent with God’s standard.  To think good thoughts, we endeavor to keep our thoughts clean and unpolluted by the world’s influences.  We do not generate thoughts from nothing; we compose them from materials already present in our brain.  When – through our five senses – allow ungodly material in our brains, we run the risk of producing impure thoughts.  Take great caution what you allow into your mental mix.

5. PLEASANT thoughts.

Negativity, criticism, complaint taint our thinking.  To think good thoughts, we are careful not to allow this kind of thoughts to prevail, but to replace them with their positive reciprocal.  Instead of dwelling on what is wrong, we can take not of what is right.  Instead of complaining about what we don’t have, we gan give thanks for the blessings we enjoy.   

6.  POSITIVE thoughts.

Commendable thoughts are those that focus on the good and positive around us; encouraging, uplifting, inspiring thoughts.  These are thoughts that instill in us a desire to act godly and obediently.  The word here translated “commendable” is the one from which we derive our English word euphemism.  A euphemism is more positive word substituted for a word that might otherwise be negative or harsh.  We can choose to think negatively or positively about any issue.  Good thoughts may be honest about the negative, but dwell on the positive.

7.  EXCELLENT thoughts.

We think excellent thoughts when we choose to dwell on higher matters and consider more important issues.  We can choose to remain mental couch potatoes or we can choose to exercise our minds on higher thoughts.  Highest on the list of thoughts include thoughts of who God is and what He is up to around us.  We can also think about who we are and how we can live in light of who He is. 

8.  PRAISEWORTHY thoughts.

What if suddenly everyone had the ability to hear your secret thoughts broadcast over a loudspeaker as you passed by them?  Would that cause you embarrassment or would present no problem at all.  We should think the kinds of thoughts that would never cause us embarrassment even if others knew what our thoughts were.  Think the kinds of thoughts you would not mind someone else hearing and knowing.

What Does It Mean to Think?

One last note.  When the verse challenges us to “think on these things,” the verb “think” is in the present tense which denotes continuous action.  Better thoughts do not happen overnight or in a day.  We come to think better thoughts, and do better battle in the mental arena over the long course of disciplining our thoughts to think as God’s Word prescribes.  We have to continually train ourselves to think rightly.

Are you ready today to consider the battleground of your mind. Will you prepare your mind for the devil’s onslaught and pay attention to what you think?  Will you eliminate stinking thinking by filling your thoughts with the “these things” of Philippians 4:8?

Recommended Resources

You Can Change: God’s Transforming Power for Our Sinful Behavior and Negative Emotions

The 4:8 Principle: The Secret to a Joy-filled Life