ORDERLY THOUGHT LIFE

“…Whatever things are of good report, if there be any virtue and if there be anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things” – Philippians 4:8b

Our Father-God has given us the scriptural Curriculum for a positive, productive, praiseworthy, ORDERLY THOUGHT LIFE: “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things” (Phil.4:8). We prevent worry before it gets started by rejoicing in the Lord with a confident trust that He has all things under control (vv.4-5). We conquer anxiety and worry by trusting prayer with thanksgiving, in which every request – big or little – is made known to God (v.6).

Praise and Prayer bring into the heart, the supernatural peace of God which passes all human understanding (v.7). This Peace is related to trusting in God, and trust is related to the control of one’s mind: “You will keep him in PERFECT PEACE, whose MIND is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (Isa.26:3). A mind not stayed on God cannot have His peace, and without His peace, worry prevails. We must develop a positive, biblical attitude towards life – an Orderly Thought Life; a thought life brought into submission to the Lord Jesus Christ by learning to think scripturally about every aspect of life.

We have ascertained in earlier devotionals that all sin begins in our thoughts and the mind is the battlefield of spiritual warfare (Mk.7:20-23; 2Cor.10:4-6). No one commits these outward sins without first having committed them in his or her mind. In order to grow in godliness therefore, we must win the battle over sin on the thought level. Paul drew his conclusion about winning over worry and resisting and conquering sin through positive, biblical, Christ‐like thinking, by stating the following attributes of the Orderly Thought Life, which are the cure for evil thinking.

TRUE: whatever is real as opposed to what is fake; whatever is true as opposed to what is false.

HONEST: thoughts that are serious and dignified -- as opposed to whatever is frivolous.

JUST: unbiased thoughts as opposed to that which is unrighteousness or not in conformity to God's will and standard.

PURE: unpolluted thoughts as opposed to stained, dirty, immoral or set apart to ungodliness; set apart to God.

LOVELY: thoughts that plan or concentrate on things that would bring about actions of love.

GOOD REPORT (admirable): thinking that searches for the good rather than the bad in another or in anything.

VIRTUOUS or Excellent: thoughts that aim for the best as opposed to undisciplined, questionable, or mediocre thoughts.

PRAISEWOTHY: Praiseworthy Thinking is thinking that finds its object in God – centred on His attributes and actions.

Our thoughts form the basis for our behaviour; hence a godly, Orderly Thought Life is essential for the exhortation on obedience in verse 9: “The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.” Paul’s thought life was also at the heart of the contentment he had learned in every situation (vv.10-12). The practice of an Orderly Thought Life through Praise-worthy Thinking will secure and sustain the believer’s Victory over worry, discontentment, Inferiority complex, pride and other sinful attitudes and negative emotions. Orderly thinking gives no room for worrying over wants, money matters, family cares, and other life’s challenges.

In a world that constantly assaults the mind with shiny, sensually-appealing prints and pictures designed to hijack our concentration and kidnap our attention, God’s Word offers the cure for covetousness and platform for contentment: “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. (vv.11-12). Praiseworthy Thinking helps us avoid pride and self-glorification, as we give God the glory for all the good things in our lives: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (v.13).