Think on These Things

I will think about what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy. I will purposely think about such things (Philippians 4:8). I am better off when I park my mind on things that fit into the previous categories—when I remember the good over the not-so-good or bad—when I mull over possibilities instead of dread.

Why do memories of hurts of the past still hurt today? Why are they often more clear than good memories from the past? Why is the bad stuff easier to believe? Hurts go so deep that they get lodged in the nervous system as well as in the brain. This is why I have to make conscious decisions to pray about past hurts, talk about past hurts with trusted friends, and force my mind to remember God’s truth over those hurts. It’s not easy and it takes much effort but it’s very possible—with God all things are possible.

True thinking is based on fact, not my imaginings—even when those imaginings seem real to my mind. Noble thinking dwells on God’s perspective on any given issue. Right thinking helps me to respond with compassion instead of bitterness. Pure thinking looks to the good that God inevitably brings from bad situations. Lovely thinking seeks the good in others. Admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy thinking is grateful to an all-knowing, all-loving God.