Tag Archives: Philippians 4:8

Choosing CHRISTmas

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…and they will call him Immanuel” which means “God with us”. Matthew 1:23b

 

One of the common traits of great men and women of faith is that they learned the secret of believing truth. Regardless of the degree of suffering they faced, they held firm to the truth that God created in them the ability to choose. You and I have the same God-given gift. Our circumstances may define the terrain we travel but they don’t have to define us. Our situation may rob us of possessions, relationships and even health, but they are powerless and clueless thieves when it comes to stealing the gift God gave us to choose. That is ours alone to keep or surrender.

 

We can choose to believe that we are all alone or that God is indeed with us. Left alone we see depression, anxiety, fear, apathy, bitterness and anger. God with us sees hope, peace, confidence, compassion. Left alone our thoughts are scattered, unfocused, and confused; we tend to dwell in the negative. God with us allows us to choose to focus on Him exclusively, to dwell in His presence, a bit of heaven on earth. We see goodness and hope when we let His light shine into the dark corners of our lives.

 

Whenever our minds turn toward negative thinking, toward resentment, bitterness, anger, or any other lying way, we can choose to immediately turn to “whatever is true, noble, and right.” The more you practice using your God-given gift of choice, the more adept you become at choosing well.

 

We can choose to get caught up in the revelry of the Xmas traditions or we can choose to ponder the wonder that is the real CHRISTmas. Accept the gift of choosing CHRISTmas.

 

Choose Immanuel, God with us. Choose CHRISTmas…every day.

 

 

 

 

Well done!

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Well done, good and faithful servant! Matthew 25:23

 

We all long to be praised even if sometimes we are embarrassed. Deep inside we long for a life of faith that is lived well.

 

But we get side tracked. Our attention turns to the bills, the never-ending chores, the constant demands on our time. Just keeping our head above water seems like a challenge. Where do we find time or energy to do more? Fortunately, the answer is not found in doing more but in doing whatever we do well:

 

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men. Colossians 3:23

 

What His Word really says is that we should enjoy His presence in everything we do. Enjoy Him when you get dressed, when you brush your teeth. Let your joy over His goodness spill over the way you work; let it overflow onto those you encounter. Be purposeful in your interactions with His love, truth and grace in mind. Rest in His presence that restores you, not in recreation that leaves you ‘wrecked.’ Remember also, sometimes the answer to living a life of faith and honor is in doing nothing, but in waiting on God:

 

Wait on the Lord. Psalm 27:14

 

Be honest, waiting is a hassle! We wait for the coffee to brew, we wait for the end of the day, we wait for our paycheck to come, we wait and wait for the answer to prayers. We hate waiting. But in waiting, we stop tapping our toes impatiently and start to silently bow our heads. Waiting makes us humble and draws us closer to the God who lifts us up, the God we so desperately need. We are eager to press forward with our own plans and efforts. But waiting on God’s timing and providence ultimately reveals more of who He is. We sometimes think we can wait no longer, but we can, because:

 

We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Romans 8:37

 

It doesn’t seem that way. Life beats us up just as Jesus said it would. Maybe you sometimes feel more defeated and enslaved by suffering than victorious over it. Me too. I wish I could tell you the secret to making suffering end right now. But it won’t. You don’t want to hear it, but the truth is, the immense weight of suffering we feel now will appear light compared to the glory of God that will be revealed through it and in fact produced by it. (2 Corinthians 4:17)

 

Believe it, not because it’s easy, but because it’s true. Even though pain shouts at us, God speaks loudly through His whisper of grace and peace. So, let’s cast our anxieties aside and focus on the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living:

 

Whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable. If anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things. Philippians 4:8

 

And rest in peace, good and faithful servant.

 

 

Toxic or pure?

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“Clean your mind of toxic thoughts and ideas.”

 

We make numerous choices each day and many of them seem rather mundane. We might think, “Does it really matter?” I mean, if we can just make sure that do a good job making the ‘big’ decisions, isn’t that enough?

 

It’s tempting to think like that but haven’t you experienced the truth that bad decisions, no matter how small, can have cumulative and negative effects? Negative thinking and impure thoughts for example. We might try to get off the hook with the occasional mental wandering, but the fact is that our brains are wired to remember things and categorize things so we can retrieve that thought or fact. I know, if you are anywhere near my age you might doubt that, but it is true. The more often we frequent a thought the more likely it is that we will revisit that same thought later. And it will be easier to do so. We’ve discussed before how God designed our brain traffic to travel on ‘paths’.  The more often we frequent that path the wider it becomes and easier it becomes to get back to it. The more we ignore other thoughts, the more they become difficult to traverse.

 

What do we do? It might be time for some prioritized spring brain cleaning.  Just like we call 911 for an emergency, verses 9, 11 of Psalm 119 offer the emergency help we need in time of trouble.  “How can a young person stay on the path of purity?  By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”  

 

What does it mean to ‘hide’ God’s Word in your heart? It means to memorize it, write it down on cards where you will frequently see it, ponder it often throughout the day. When this becomes your (many times) daily habit, God’s Word is free to act as a ‘brain cleaning’ agent. You might think of it as ‘mind guards’ that stand ready to warn and defend you against wayward thoughts that come across your mind; negative thinking, hopelessness, despair, pride, lust, greed, selfishness, vengeance, judgment…you get the idea.

 

Is brain cleaning really such a big deal? The answer to that is, “What kind of thoughts do you want to rule your mind? Because your actions will surely follow.”

 

“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

 

That one thing that speaks to your heart

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Have you ever read a whole book or watched a whole movie (or maybe listened to a whole sermon!) only to remember ONE poignant line that really spoke to you? Actually, I think that is perfectly fine and to be commended. When I used to do all day seminars and consulting, I would often tell my audience that if they remembered and applied just one single ONE concept that improved their life, it would pay the tuition for the whole day. I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time fully incorporating the “7 essentials” of successful living or “14 ways to improve your life.” As for me, focusing on intentionally improving one or two things at a time is about my limit.

In fact, I still tend to summarize the primary point(s) of each chapter I read and then the one or two most important points that spoke to me from the whole book. I find myself intentionally listening for ‘that one line’ from a movie that speaks to my heart. For example, Facing the Giants is a film about football and faith. But apart from the football theme, the line that spoke to my heart was when the coach’s wife, in the depth or her disappointment, turned to God and said, “And still I will trust you.”

You might find yourself thinking similarly about a special place or time that remains so special to you. What special quality about that memory speaks so deeply to you? And how can you strive to achieve a similar experience right where you are now? Instead of looking back to the past for happiness, how can you carry those special ‘lessons learned’ to the present and enjoy them all your life? Even Jesus summarized God’s message to us in two commands to remember and apply to our daily lives: Love God and love others!

Similarly, you might think about a person who you find ministers to your soul when they are near. Of all the characteristics that describe them, what is at the essence of their being that speaks peace or joy to you? And how can you incorporate that same essence into who you are?

Our lives are filled with an immense amount of information, data, experiences, and emotions. Choosing to remember and maintain the essential few builds us up and strengthens and encourages us. It allows us to use our blessings to bless others.

“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