“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy– think about such things.” Philippians 4:8 (NIV)
I have just seen the last dvd by Joyce Meyer’s, “Battlefield of the Mind”, in my local community Bible study. One of the scriptures she shared was this one, in Phillippians. She said, “where the mind goes, so does the man”, and she cautioned us to be careful what we think.
She said that if our thoughts are not, as described in this verse, then we become “prey”, for the devil to create a stronghold on us. She went on to say that if we are busy thinking about these things (Phil. 4:8), the devil doesn’t know what to do with us.
I have a question, if these words are adjectives, “noble, lovely, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy” ; then when we think about them do they become verbs? Do we go into action like an action movie?
thedailylily.com 
I can either be a super-dud or Superman(woman) by the way I think?
Wouldn’t these adjectives become verbs if we put them into action by the things we do and say also? Shouldn’t we think upon these things with a purpose in mind?
Sara blogged this quote in Dec 2008 and I thought it connected to what is written above. “Great minds have purposes, little minds have wishes”
Irving, Washington
And Paul continued to write in Phil 4:9 . “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”
So it seems we have to put action to the adjectives to turn them into productive verbs?
Sara blogged on this quote May 2008
“No farmer ever plowed a field by turning it over in his mind.” -George E. Woodburg
Battlefield of the Mind, for certain it is a battle. Which way do we go. Do we think of all the bad that has just happened to us – a real pity party. Do we battle in our mind how this could have happened and the dire consequences of what ifs, or do we directly choose to rise above the abominable situation we find ourselves in and think upon our mighty God. Do we ask that God turn the situaiton around for all involved bringing good to them – enriching their lives. I’d say it would take a real Superman(woman) to think in this way. I hope that God finds me a Superwoman in this way singing praises, being admirable, , noble, and wanting excellence for those involved and excelence in the outcome of what anyone of us might be faced with or are facing this day..
They certainly can and do become actions words (verbs) when we “do ” them. But I had a thought. They could be ADVERBS also…which are words that designate HOW an action is executed. For example, do we do the deed “lovingly, nobly, admirably, excellently, praise-worthily or do we just do a thing to get it over with.?
Good question, Needles.
One comment that a lady said, in my Bible study was…..(if I remember it correctly?) “Your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become your character, and your character becomes your legacy/destiny”. WOE! I sure need to “go into action”, practicing , “thinking” the right thoughts, since that seems to be the starting place??
I believe Jesus told us the best action words to take when He said, Take up your cross daily and follow Me.” That indicates the crucifixion of the flesh as we exercise our spiritual muscles in hauling the cross of self control, fleshly denial, coming against debauched thinking and soulish desires.
If we could do that daily, we would develop spiritual muscle power and in following the Lord and the Word of God, we could combat Spiritual Autism.
Needles thanks for sharing the lady’s comment. I will ponder them in my heart and pray for going into action – practicing and thinking right thoughts. I pray that my and others thoughts will be as you quotated in the scripture and that our legacy/destiny will touch many as we sojourn on this earth. Without this I can only think that we would be hard hearted and full of bitterness and perhaps other unsaid traits driving others away from God instead of to God.
I just ran across this scripture in my mornign devotion, which could help us.
Psalms 84: 5-12
5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.
6 As they pass through the Valley of Baca,
they make it a place of springs;
the autumn rains also cover it with pools. [b]
7 They go from strength to strength,
till each appears before God in Zion.
8 Hear my prayer, O LORD God Almighty;
listen to me, O God of Jacob.
Selah
9 Look upon our shield, [c] O God;
look with favor on your anointed one.
10 Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
the LORD bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
from those whose walk is blameless.
12 O LORD Almighty,
blessed is the man who trusts in you.
As I am reading thru this rosary of good counsel I am facing a business relationship which is frustrating and challenging to my spiritual life of peace. In my devotions this morning Holy Spirit showed that the problem is ME (I), not the chronic, harsh actions of the other. It is I who must, “take up’ my cross” of bearing the hostility and non-recognition or acknowledgment. it is my thought life concerning this situation either that will bring glory to God or hurt and frustration to me. Only relying on His promises, and policing my thought life,(AND ACTIONS) looking for the good, the lovely, the
admirable and the noble and keeping that at the forefront of my thought life, rejecting the bitter, or relataliatory or the rejection will there be victory in this challenge.
Rena, in our Fourth Annual thedailylily.org retreat to be held this summer. We will be studying “Dressing for His Glory.” This is a Bible study I wrote a few years ago and yet enjoy the study of daily. You have quoted above Psalm 84:10 which came from your morning devotion and I was studying this same verse last evening in my devotion from our workbook for retreat.
While you are studying this subject get a jump start on retreat and answer a question from Lesson 3, page 17, “Dressing for His Glory, on pursuing EXCELLENCE.” And, as Needles has noted in her adverbs “Excellence” is one of the named ‘think along on.’
Q. What do the following scriptures reveal about God’s perspective of time? II Peter 3:3-9,_____ Habakkuk 2:1-3_____Habakkuk 1:1-5________? And next question; Does Psalm 84:10 reflect your attitude toward God on time and where your desire to to be? Yes___No____Explain______.
Keep in mind our workbook and studies will be on “Pursuing a life of Excellence.”
When we slow down and commune with Our Heavenly Father, Our Precious Holy Lord, and the Holy Spirit we find that they are walking right by our side talking with us and we only need to take our time and place it in their time and we will begin to enjoy our day which becomes part of our destiny.
Also Needles gave us a way to our destiny in her last comment. Page 4 of our same workbook, “Dressing For His Glory,” has my introduction and passion for each one attending retreat, “My Passion is to grow and to see you grow in your destiny.” HUM! Looks like we are now being prepared for our summer school! Aren’t we glad we are going to summer Bible School?
I am looking forward to the Fourth Annual thedailylily.org Retreat this summer and am enjoying these bible study blogs.
As I read through the scriptures and thought about the questions Sara poses above from “Dressing for His Glory” that God’s perspective on time is infinite and all-inclusive. He can look backwards, present and forwards all at once and see things from every angle and plan and purpose accordingly. This reminds me of the living creatures that had the appearance of wheels in Ezekial 1:18 that were full of eyes all around.
The scriptures above say to me that God’s perspective of time and timing for events can be very different from human time and timing. And that, as in Psalm 84:10, to know and be in and a part of and in step with God’s perfect timing is so much better than to spend time in any other way.
I think Sara gives us the key to help us align our persepective on time with His…”we only need to take our time and place it in their time and we will begin to enjoy our day which becomes part of our destiny. ” Then we can say trustfully along with the Psalmist, …” My times are in your hands…” Psalm 31: 15
I love verse nine of Philippines 4 where Paul goes on to say; “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”
Sara, in your questionnaire comment above you speak of walking with God and the Holy Spirit and putting our time and place in Theirs. After re-reading that I realized that I had just read in the devotional by Bill Johnson where he was saying to the effect, ‘if we cooperate with the Holy Spirit we will begin to look just like Jesus. He goes on to say, ” I believe that God desires every believer to mature to the place where we increasingly see what the Father is doing (by the Spirit) HEAR what He is saying and train our hearts and minds to agree with what He is doing.” Then when we pray we will be praying from HIS VIEW which He has shown and sownin us thru intimacy with Him. It’s like the old (TWO VIEWS OF THE COUCH) theory!! We will come from His point of view and when we pray HIS desires which we have chosen to be our desires our prayers will be answered in His timing which ultimately will be our timing.
It seems at times we having floating minds?
Yes it seems we have floating minds. The couch reminds me that God is waiting there for me as I wonder from activity to activity in my mind or physically – be it swimming pool to life problems to wanting yesteryear. God is waiting for us to sit awhile with Him.
Speaking of “sit awhile with Him” that reminds me of the song Sara wrote a few years ago, “My Waiting Room” (c) There is such a glorious promise in that song where the lyrics go….
“As I wait, I see His face,
shining as the Glory of Grace,
As I wait, as I wait in His room.”
Wow! What a reward for waiting and listening to the Lord!
There are many benefits and rewards for waiting on the Lord.
Psalm 37:34 “Wait with hope for the LORD, and follow his path, and he will honor you by giving you the land. When wicked people are cut off, you will see it.”
And Isaiah 40:31:
“But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.”