Philippians 4:8 - Thinking That Leads to Joy in Jesus.
Philippians 4:8 (NKJV) 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.
Philippians 4:8 (NIV) 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.
Philippians 4:8 (NLT) Fix your thoughts on
what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure,
and lovely, and admirable. Think about things
that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Philippians 4:8 (MSG) 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.
COMMENTARY PEARL
Right Thinking Leads to Happiness
Gods recipe for happiness isnt a
one-shot formula. Its something you need to follow
every day: Worry about nothing, pray about
everything, thank God for anything - and, lastly, keep
your mind on the right things.
If you want to be happy, dont fill
your mind with lies. Dont fill it with
garbage. Instead, fill it with things that inspire
you and make you a better person. The Bible
says, I will not put anything wicked in front
of my eyes (Psalm 101:3 GW). Does that mean God
doesnt want you to have fun? No, of course not. He
says it for your own good, because he knows what
will truly make you happy.
What do you think about the most in your
spare time? The quality of your life is determined
by the quality of your thoughts.
One practical way to keep your mind on
the right things is to not be critical - to
avoid putting people down. Instead, think good
things about others. If you cant think good
things, just dont think about them.
The Bible says, Whatever things are of
good report meditate on these things
(Philippians 4:8 NKJV). Id like to build a church
where people are always giving a good report
about each other. Youre at the grocery store
and someone asks you, You know so and so?
And you say, Yes, theyre a fine person.
Thats giving a good report.
Gods formula for happiness is this:
Worry about nothing, pray about everything, thank
God for anything, and keep your mind on the
right things. If you follow it, the Bible
promises, And the peace of God, which surpasses all
understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through
Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7 NKJV).
Whos the main ingredient of this
formula? Its Jesus Christ. Without him, the
happiness formula will just flop. True happiness is
the result of having a right relationship with
Jesus. [Daily Devotional by Rick Warren:
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]
COMMENTARY
Trust God One Day at a Time
God wants you to trust him one day at a
time. He wants you to ask for your daily
bread (Matthew 6:11 ESV), not for your weekly
bread, monthly bread, or yearly bread.
The Bible says, Dont worry about
anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God
what you need, and thank him for all he has done
... Fix your thoughts on what is true, and
honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and
admirable. Think about things that are excellent and
worthy of praise (Philippians 4:6-8 NLT).
This passage teaches four things to do
daily to trust God:
Worry about nothing. Dont worry
about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own
worries. Todays trouble is enough for today
(Matthew 6:34 NLT). Why is worry such a big deal?
Because its not just a bad habit - its a sin.
But God keeps his promises, and you can trust
that he will take care of you.
Pray about everything. Prayer changes
things. Romans 8:32 says, He who did not spare
his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how
will he not also, along with him, graciously give
us all things? (NIV) God solved your biggest
problem - the sin that kept you from heaven - when
he sent Jesus to die for you. If God loved you
enough to send Jesus to die for you, dont you
think he loves you enough to take care of all your
other problems?
Thank God in all things. No matter what
happens, give thanks. The Bible doesnt say, For
all things, give thanks. It says, In all
things, give thanks (1 Thessalonians 5:18 GNT).
You dont have to be thankful for bad things
in your life. You should never be thankful for
evil. You dont have to be thankful for cancer
or a car accident. But God says that in
everything you can give thanks. Why? Because you know
that Gods going to take care of you. You know
hes going to meet your needs. You know hes
going to help you.
Think about the right things. In
Philippians 4, God has given you a list of things to
think about - things that are true, honorable,
right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and
worthy of praise.
Where do you find things that are pure
and lovely to think about? You wont find them
watching TV or scrolling through social media. You
will find pure, lovely, and honorable thoughts in
the Word of God. Read it, study it, memorize it,
and fill your mind with it. Isaiah 26:3 says,
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in
you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
(NLT)
Make today the day you start trusting God
one day at a time. [Daily Devotional by Rick
Warren: https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]
CLOSING THOUGHT
Christian Meditation
Some people say they meditate to find
peace. The Bible talks about meditation, but its
a different kind of meditation than Eastern
meditation.
In Eastern meditation, you empty your
mind. But in the meditation the Bible speaks of,
you fill your mind with the Word of God.
Philippians 4:8 says this: 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 (NKJV)
And Psalm 1 tells us, Oh, the joys of
those who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
or stand around with sinners, or join in with
mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord,
meditating on it day and night (verses 1"2 NLT).
It starts with the mind, which is why we
need to think about, ponder, and fill our minds
with Gods Word. We need to train our minds to
think biblically. So the next time you fly into a
panic or youre worried about something, remind
yourself of what the Word of God says. Remind
yourself of what is true. Think godly thoughts.
Verses 6"7 of Philippians 4 tell us,
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by
prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let
your requests be made known to God; and the peace
of God, which surpasses all understanding, will
guard your hearts and minds through Christ
Jesus (NKJV).
When we face adversity, our natural
inclination is to reach out to other people for help.
That has its place, of course, but ultimately we
must turn to God. So if you dont want to live
in fear, anxiety, and worry, then put your
concerns in the hands of God. [Greg Laurie from
Harvest Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE
Philippians 4:8 - Thinking That Leads to Joy
in Jesus.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20210523-1035.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Steps to Peace by Billy Graham:
https://stepstopeace.org/
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Voice of Prophecy Discover Bible Study
Guides:
https://www.voiceofprophecy.com/study/discover
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible
Panorama of Prophecy with Pastor Doug
Batchelor: https://www.panoramaofprophecy.com/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
Islam and Christianity in Prophecy, The
Third and Final Conflict by Tim Roosenberg:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSJB-fuHLU&list=PLWhQIHGTHlkaGg5Cwe3NDzWtFX8vNSpsE
