“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.” Philippians 4:8 NIV
At salvation, we were set free from the power of sin and given the ability to think and live as Jesus did. To make that potential a reality requires diligent effort on our part and surrender to the Holy Spirit. After acknowledging a need for changed thinking, our first step is a commitment to pursue godliness. Then we must measure our opinions and choices against God’s Word, regularly asking ourselves, Is my thinking, attitude, or behaviour in line with the character of God and the truths of Scripture? We should take note of what is absorbing our attention. It is not healthy to fill our minds with media reports, Web sites, or television programs that do not reflect God’s values. The apostle Paul gave us a measuring stick to use in deciding what is worthy of our attention: he said to dwell on those things that are true, honourable, and worthy of praise. Finally, we must discipline our mind to reject ungodly thought patterns. Those who battle addictions can testify about the mind’s power to overcome good intentions. Unhealthy, repetitious desires cause us to feel guilty, keep us from connecting with God, and make us a poor witness to others. Through the Holy Spirit’s power, we must learn to reject such thought patterns and embrace what God says. Developing a lifestyle of righteous living begins with what we believe. How closely does your thinking match the Lord’s?
PRAYER THOUGHT
Holy Spirit, show us when our thinking does not match that of Jesus.
PRAYER FOR TODAY
Thank You, Holy Spirit, through Your indwelling presence and power, we can learn to reject all thought patterns that do not reflect Jesus and embrace what God’s Word says. AMEN
INTERNATIONAL BIBLE READING ASSOCIATION (IBRA)
2 Corinthians 5:17-21
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