Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brothers, 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.” This verse encourages us to fill our minds with positive, uplifting thoughts that reflect God’s values and perspective.
There are several key points we can take away from this verse:
- We should focus our thoughts on truth – truth revealed in God’s word and in Christ.
- We should dwell on what is honorable and just – things that align with God’s righteous standards.
- We should meditate on what is pure and lovely – that which is morally excellent and praiseworthy.
- We should ponder what is commendable and excellent – things that build up others and glorify God.
In summary, Paul challenges us to be selective about what we allow our minds to dwell on. Our thought life should be characterized by that which reflects God’s character and priorities. When we fill our minds with the right things, it affects our attitudes, speech, and actions in positive ways.
The importance of our thought life
The reason Paul puts such emphasis on controlling our thoughts is because what we think about eventually affects what we do. Our actions and attitudes flow out of our thought life. Jesus affirmed this truth when he said “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34). King Solomon also wrote, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). What we ponder and dwell on internally is crucial because it shapes the course of our lives.
Paul knew that the key to living a godly life is found in renewing our minds and filling them with God’s truth (Romans 12:2). The battle for sin often begins in our thought life. That’s why taking every thought captive and replacing lies with God’s truth is so critical (2 Corinthians 10:5). If we want to live wisely and honor God, it starts with controlling our thought life and choosing to meditate on what aligns with His will and word.
How to think on what is right
Practically speaking, how can we put this exhortation in Philippians 4:8 into practice? How do we think on what is noble, right, pure, and admirable? Here are some suggestions:
- Spend time daily in God’s word – By regularly immersing our minds in the truth of Scripture, it renews our thinking and gives us a divine perspective for viewing life.
- Memorize uplifting passages – Committing key verses to memory provides us with truth to draw upon when negative or unwholesome thoughts arise.
- Listen to praiseworthy music and podcasts – What we listen to should build us up spiritually and mentally.
- Be mindful of media influences – Choose entertainment and news outlets that don’t violate standards of purity and morality or stir up anxiety and fear.
- Watch your speech – Our words betray what we’ve been thinking about. Speech filled with gratitude, hope, and encouragement indicates a healthy thought life.
- Pray continually – Asking God to guard and direct our thoughts helps align them with His will. The Holy Spirit can prompt right thinking.
- Fill your life with beauty – Surrounding ourselves with edifying music, art, nature etc. gives our thoughts a noble focus.
In addition, we need to actively avoid things that would pollute our minds and drag our thought life down to an impure, unrighteous level. This might require reducing time spent listening to or reading certain inappropriate kinds of content that stirs up lustful thoughts, fear, anxiety, resentment, envy and other vices.
The benefits of right thinking
Filling our minds with positive, life-giving thoughts that agree with Scripture brings many benefits:
- It settles anxiety and fear when we focus on what is true and honorable.
- It reduces bitterness when we think on what is lovely and admirable in others.
- It inspires gratitude as we ponder the good gifts God has given us.
- It increases our discernment as we are thoughtful about what media messages we ingest.
- It magnifies joy and contentment when we dwell on the positives around us.
- It promotes wisdom for life decisions when we meditate on moral excellence.
- It protects our hearts when we guard our minds from what would defile us and help us think rightly about purity.
- It strengthens our resolve when we focus regularly on God’s truth and noble virtues.
In other words, right thinking produces stability, discernment, wisdom, contentment, moral courage, and greater intimacy with God. It creates a mindset that honors the Lord and benefits those around us.
Examples from Scripture
In addition to Philippians 4:8, the Bible gives us other descriptions of godly thought life principles we should emulate:
- Think on things that are true (Philippians 4:8)
- Take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5)
- Be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2)
- Think about how to love and serve others (Philippians 2:3-4)
- Let the mind of Christ be in you (Philippians 2:5)
- Meditate on God’s word (Psalm 119:15)
- Think on things that are pure (Philippians 4:8)
- Do not be conformed to this world (Romans 12:2)
- Avoid foolish disputing (2 Timothy 2:23)
- Take cautions thoughts captive (2 Corinthians 10:5)
We also find examples of righteous thought lives in biblical figures like Paul, David, Daniel, and Jesus. Though they faced trying circumstances, they disciplined their minds to focus on God’s truth, promises, and eternal perspective.
Cautions about over-analyzing
While examining our thought life is important, some Christians go to an extreme where they overanalyze every thought out of fear it isn’t pure enough. This can lead to unnecessary guilt, constantly second-guessing ourselves, or trying to empty our minds of all thoughts.
It’s important to understand that temptation itself is not sin, unless we dwell on it and give into it. Even Jesus was tempted yet did not sin. Many random ideas and impressions flash across our minds that we didn’t initiate. So we don’t need to feel guilty about thoughts that briefly cross our consciousness. The key is whether we indulge and entertain those thoughts or dismiss them.
Yes, our thought lives matter greatly and require discipline by the power of the Spirit. But remember that as redeemed children of God, we have freedom from constant worry that our thoughts aren’t measuring up. We reflect Christ’s righteousness, not our own effort. Our minds are being renewed continually, so we can have patience with ourselves and others in the process.
Partnering with the Holy Spirit
As with every area of Christian growth, fulfilling the exhortation in Philippians 4:8 relies on the empowering work of the Holy Spirit. Our human efforts alone cannot achieve righteous thinking that brings glory to God. We need the Spirit’s leading to form Christlike thoughts and take improper ones captive (2 Corinthians 10:5).
It is the Holy Spirit who guides us into truth (John 16:13), intercedes for us with power (Romans 8:26), and produces His fruit through us – which includes self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). As we submit to Him each day in prayer and seek His direction through Scripture, the Spirit renews our minds and transforms us (Titus 3:5).
The Spirit knows our weaknesses and when we are being tempted in our thought lives. He gently convicts us when our minds have wandered into foolishness or impurity. As we yield sensitive hearts to the Spirit’s leading, He will faithfully shape our thinking and align it with God’s will.
Thinking rightly is a lifelong process
This side of eternity we will never have completely pure thoughts free from any temptation. Our minds and hearts are still prone to wanders at times. But God is patient with us. He continues His renewing work in us little by little. The more we saturate our minds with Scripture and submit to the Spirit’s control, the more He changes our thinking patterns.
We must remember that the exhortation in Philippians 4:8 is a lifelong goal we aim for, not a burden of perfectionism for every thought. Our mindsets must be continually transformed to align with Christ. So we should not lose heart when our thought lives still struggle at times against enemy temptations. With the Spirit’s help, we make steady progress in thinking rightly and honoring God with our thought patterns.
Thinking rightly amid suffering
During seasons of intense hardship and suffering, implementing Philippians 4:8 poses challenges. Focusing our thoughts on what is right, lovely, honorable, and praiseworthy can feel nearly impossible when we are overwhelmed with grief, loss, or trauma. The pain and crushing weight of negative emotions often eclipse positive thinking.
However, God’s word still offers hope and perspective, even in the valley of agony. We may not be able to stop the dark thoughts entirely, but we can acknowledge them and redirect our minds to the truth. We may need to pray the Psalms and cling to promises of God’s faithfulness and redemption. Though weeping endures for the night, joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5). With God’s strength, even suffering is an opportunity to know Christ’s comfort more profoundly as we cry out to Him.
The blessing of biblical community
Trying to think rightly in isolation can prove very challenging. We may become discouraged when we fail or obsess unhealthily over analyzing our thought lives. However, God did not design us to grow in sanctification alone. We need biblical community and wise counsel to have support and keep us accountable (Proverbs 11:14).
Sharing our thought life struggles with trusted believers allows them to guide us when we get entangled in wrong thinking patterns. They can pray for us, speak gospel truth, and recommend resources to renew our minds. Together we sharpen one another “as iron sharpens iron” (Proverbs 27:17). We gain the courage to overcome when surrounded with encouragement from the Church body.
Therefore, while developing a right thought life relies on personal discipline, the journey becomes smoother when walked alongside others. Biblical community provides a safety net that helps us persevere through the hard work of taking thoughts captive for God’s glory.
Continual growth, not perfection
As we’ve discussed in several sections, implementing Philippians 4:8 requires grace, patience with ourselves, and perseverance. There will always be room for growth in our thought lives this side of heaven. We will make progress at times and stumble at other times. The goal is continual growth over the long run, not absolute perfection in the short term.
God does not condemn us when wrong thoughts occasionally infiltrate our minds. He knows we are still prone to wander given our fallen nature. His grace empowers us to regain control over those thoughts, take them captive, and direct our minds rightly again (2 Corinthians 10:5).
We should aim for progress in our thought lives, not utter perfection. Sanctification is God perfecting us over time, not human perfectionism attained by works. So take wrong thoughts captive, but don’t become captive to discouragement. Keep moving forward in the power of the Spirit, resting in God’s grace when you fail.
Thinking rightly prepares us for action
Why does God place such emphasis on renewing our thought lives? Because thoughts dictate actions. If we want to live wisely and honor God with our deeds, it starts with getting control of our thought lives. When our minds dwell on what is true, honorable, lovely, and admirable, it puts us in a position to act accordingly.
Conversely, those who do not discipline their thought lives will inevitably struggle with unwise actions and words. As Jesus said, “For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34). Garbage in, garbage out. The mental determines the behavioral.
So a thought life aligned with Philippians 4:8 equips us for righteous living with the power of the Spirit. Right thinking cultivates wisdom for decisions, self-control over speech, empathy toward others, and obedience to God’s commands. If we want to honor Christ in our conduct, renewing our thought lives must come first.
Summary
In summary, Philippians 4:8 gives crucial guidance for believers on developing a thought life that honors God. By meditating on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable, we position our minds for moral excellence and Spirit-led actions.
Implementing this exhortation requires saturating in Scripture, taking thoughts captive, partnering with the Holy Spirit, biblical community, and God’s grace. As we fill our minds with righteousness, it transforms everything from our motivations to our speech. A thought life aligned with God’s truth bears fruit for His glory.