Christ Leads The Way

“Finally brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, 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 anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things.” – Philippians 4:8

Hi, dear readers! Thank-you for continuing to read. I appreciate you!!

I’ve been given some thought to Colossians 3:2. It says: “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” It brings to mind Philippians 4:8 that commands us to think on things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, and of a good report. I want to do this. I know that many of you reading want to do it, too. But what does that really mean? How do we set our minds or our affections on things above? And what things are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, and of a good report? Let’s examine it.

When we set our mind on things above, our mind is ultimately set on God. Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matt. 22:37). The Bible says that He will keep you in perfect peace if your mind is stayed on Him (Isa. 26:3).

We need to be thinking about God and things pertaining to God. It will help us not to leave our first love or to grow cold or lukewarm. Jesus said that because sin increases, the love of many will grow cold (Matt 24:12). Sometimes it’s the sin around us; other times, it’s the sin in our own lives. We need to be on guard from temptation and the devil’s tactics and set our affections and our mind on the Lord.

Remember when Peter took Jesus aside and rebuked Him saying that He wasn’t going to suffer and be killed. Jesus responded, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of man” (Matt. 16:23). That’s a strong reply from the Lord. He told Peter that he was not being mindful of the things of God. Jesus was telling him how things were going to be, but he was refusing to accept it. When we have our minds set on things above, we accept what the Lord says to us. When we don’t. we become vehicles for Satan.

Thus, we set our minds on the commandments of God. “The statutes of the Lord are right; rejoicing the heart. The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes” (Ps. 19:8). If we want to think on things above and things that are pure, then we will think on the Word of God. This includes: reading it, studying it, memorizing Scriptures, sharing it, and meditating on it.

If we want to set our minds on things above, we will set our minds on the people of God. The psalmist penned, “As for the saints who are on the earth, ‘They are the excellent ones in whom is all my delight’” (Ps. 16:3). God takes delight in His people, and we should, too. Paul reminds us to “show family affection to one another with brotherly love” (Rom. 12:10). When our minds are set on things above and things that are of a good report, we are thinking of how we can show love and care to our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Finally, when we set our minds on things above, we have our minds set upon the house of God and worship. We will be able to say to God, “Lord, I love the house where You dwell, the place where Your glory resides” (Ps. 26:8). The house of God is His church (1 Tim. 3:15). The psalmist said ,”How lovely is your tabernacle, O Lord of hosts” (Ps. 84:1)!  God does not dwell in a tabernacle today; His dwelling place is the church. Setting our minds on things above and things that are lovely means that we are focused on the kingdom of God – His church – worshiping Him in it, and what we can do to help it grow.

If you are not a member of that church, you can be by obeying Christ in repentance and baptism, today.

Is your mind set on things above? Are you thinking about God, His Word, His worship, and His church? Meditate on these things!

  “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” – Phili. 2:5

Photo by Magda Ehlers on Pexels.com