Think about the Good Things – Good desires in our hearts – Our mouths shall enjoy Good fruits.
Philippians 4 and Proverbs 18:20
Allow me to share these thoughts with you!
English Standard Version
8 Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is
lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of
praise, think about these things.
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be obvious to
everyone. The Lord is near.
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present
your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will
guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
In Philippians 4:6-8 Paul gives us a few instructions for a Victorious Life and
Overcoming in Daily Life. He starts with
Rejoice in The Lord Always, Yes Rejoice!
Be Gracious to everyone, let your Gentleness be seen.
Be not anxious for anything. Present your requests to The Lord with Thanks.
He tells us that these 3 things will guard our hearts and minds in Jesus.
We will be kept in the Peace of God, that passes ALL understanding.
We won’t have to spend so much negative-energy trying to work things out.
We will come closer to Him, where the Victory Is.
Then he encourages us to really Know Him. And the secret is in Imitating Him!
He gives us the Perfect Recipe for this.
He says, Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is
anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (English Standard Version)
So he gives us a list of Godly Attributes and says to pattern our thoughts this way.
Victory comes to those who train their thinking this way!
Paul is saying, when you learn to REJOICE (at all times, whatever the day or situation) and
refusing to be anxious, present your Prayers with a THANKFUL spirit……. and Act in the
same spirit by being GRACIOUS with those around you…….you will experience HIS
PEACE__ it will envelope your heart and mind…….Don’t STOP There!
Think, Meditate and Dwell on THESE THINGS like Jesus did, like Paul did
and you will maintain the Victory. YES!
I will give you some parallel versions of Verse 8 here that will shed light on this.
Because Greek and Hebrew is so rich in content (meaning) no English translation can
encompass a verse in it’s entirety (richness).
New Living Translation
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.
New American Standard Bible
Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is
lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise,
dwell on these things.
International Standard Version
Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is fair, whatever is pure, whatever is
acceptable, whatever is commendable, if there is anything of excellence and if there is
anything praiseworthy—keep thinking about these things.
New International Version
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
NET Bible
Whatever is true, whatever is worthy of respect, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever
is lovely, whatever is commendable, if something is excellent or praiseworthy, think about
these things.
Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Therefore, my brethren, those things that are true, those that are honorable, those that are
righteous, those things that are pure, those things that are precious, those things that are
praiseworthy, deeds of glory and of praise, meditate on these things.
GOD’S WORD® Translation
Finally, brothers and sisters, keep your thoughts on whatever is right or deserves praise:
things that are true, honorable, fair, pure, acceptable, or commendable.
Jubilee Bible 2000
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, 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 any praise, exercise yourselves in these things.
English Revised Version
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honourable,
whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely,
whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue,
and if there be any praise, think on these things.
KEEP PRACTICING THESE THINGS
This is the Way to Victory and the Peace of God
in our daily lives.
Yes, the New Living Translation tells us to Fix our Thoughts.
(pattern your thoughts accordingly so they will be saturated and permeated)
The New American Standard Bible tells us to Dwell on These Things.
(not to let negative or ungodly things pervade our thinking)
So we have just seen in the above, Paul meant more than just think of.
The New American Standard Bible stresses those things that are of Good Repute.
(not to be quick to accept evil reports or dwell on them)
The English Revised Version says to think of things that are of a Good Report.
(like the 2 Israelites gave when they came back from spying Canaan)
The NET Bible stresses those things that are Worthy of Respect.
(so whatever deserves our respect and is said respectfully is God’s order)
The International Standard Version says those things that are
Acceptable and Commendable.
(whatever is acceptable to God comes to mind here and things we find commendable)
Here we find the state of the world and personal input by those around us.
We need to govern what goes into our thinking as much as we can in this Age.
That includes TV – Computers – Radio
And please don’t be insensitive to the failings of the weak or someone who needs to confide
by rudely shutting them up to protect your ears. Some Christians do that! But we can be
wise as to how much we take in.
In relation to our own Personal Thoughts, we are encouraged to make them
things that are Pure and Lovely.
(not rude, conceited or shameful but to think of beautiful things like nature, good tidings
and godly things)
The International Standard Version and the NET Bible invite us to think of Excellence!
(we can have an excellent spirit like Daniel and Paul if we dwell on the excellence
of God’s Words to us)
Learn to set your desires on Things Above, not earthly things only.
Things that are Precious and Praiseworthy.
(those things we hold precious, we should think of more often and we need to think of
things that others would think of as praiseworthy – ie we would not be ashamed and
embarrassed)
Things that are Commendable.
(we need to consider things that are commended by God as well as others)
Things that are Noble and right.
(scripture says if we cleanse ourselves (put away) what is ignoble
we can be a noble vessel fit for use – the choice is up to us)
Things of Virtue and Praise.
Who is there better to think of than The Lord Himself for all His Virtue and Praise?
The International Standard Version counsels us to keep thinking about these things.
The Jubilee Bible 2000 aptly tells us to Exercise Ourselves in These Things.
Yes, these things don’t come overnight – we need to Exercise them.
Practice makes perfect they say and what we do daily stays with us.
I trust you have enjoyed these thoughts on Philippians 4.
Proverbs 18:20 says:
From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled; with the harvest of their lips they
are satisfied. (New International Version)
The New Living Translation describes it this way:
Wise words satisfy like a good meal; the right words bring satisfaction.
Verse 21 says:
Those who love it will eat its fruit.
Scripture refers several times to the Power of our words.
The best way to keep His Words in our thoughts is to speak them as well.
The word meditate in Joshua 1:8 means to speak to oneself.
8 My Words shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on them day and night,
so that you may be careful to do them for then you will make your way prosperous, and then
you will have success. 9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not
tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.
Faith comes by hearing His Words and we believe the words we speak
more than anyone’s, so get used to speaking them.
SOME GOOD ADVICE
Rather than trying to grasp all of this at once and forgetting you read it in a few days,
keep coming back to this page, and keep refreshing what you read hey?
We remember best what we Practice, so it is best to take one or two things you
read here (from Scripture and Application) and practice them daily for a good week,
and move through them in relays, going through the first ones again
when you have completed them, and work your way through them again.
The thing is, we confuse mental knowledge
(information, a kind of mental assent but that is not possible)
with spiritual knowledge often
(that which feeds our spirit and growing in the Spirit)
We are told in Scripture that “Jesus is the New Living Way, Walk ye in Him.”
I put it to you that there are a number of things in Scripture that are helpful to do this,
but none so Helpful and Embracive as the Philippians 4 Verses you read on this Page.
“The Lord be with you as you try these things. God bless!”