Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Philippians 4:8

I want to preach today on a verse from our second reading today, verse 8. Three years ago, I preached on verses 4-7 of this reading, which is one of my favorite passages in the Bible. You can find that sermon on my blog here. So today, I thought we could look at the next verse of this same passage, verse 8.

The apostle Paul wants to guide us in our thinking. Why? Because he knows that our thoughts matter. A lot. What we are thinking about affects our relationships, it determines our choices, and it guides us through life. I once read that a typical emotion or feeling lasts about 90 seconds. We get cut off by someone on the road and we get mad. A dog comes running at us barking and bearing his teeth and we get scared. That kind of thing. That rage, that fear, lasts about 90 seconds. And then our thoughts determine what happens next. Are we going to tailgate that person for the next few miles, pull up next to them at a traffic light, yell at them, go full “road rage”? Or are we going to slow it down a little, put a good song on the radio, and enjoy the rest of our drive? It’s up to us. 

And Paul knew that, so he encourages us to decide carefully what to think about. “Think about these things,” he writes. Not those things. When we think about the right things, we do the right things. Simple as that. I’ll give you a personal example from my life. When I was a young man, I grew up in an environment where “colorful language” was the norm. At some point in my life, I decided that I was no longer going to use that language. But when I stubbed my toe or did some other such thing, that language would still slip out. Until I decided that I would not even think those words. And it worked! I stopped thinking those words, and now when I stub my toe, I will exclaim something like “Ouch!” Really! You can ask my wife! So, in other words, thoughts matter. 

But who decides what we think about? Many of us have said that politicians and news personalities cannot tell us what to think, and that is true. We can all decide for ourselves what to think about any particular issue. But, on the other hand, those same politicians and news personalities do seem to be able to tell us what to think about. That “hot button” issue that seems so important to us right now? Who decided it’s important? Not us. We have lots of people in this world who are not able to tell us what to think, but do seem to be able to tell us what to think about. And that shouldn’t be. We should be able to decide what to think about. 

So, what should we think about? Good question! And the apostle Paul gives us some specific suggestions in this verse. He offers six particular things that we should be thinking about. So I thought I would simply take each of them  in turn. 

Whatever Is True

First, Paul teaches us that we should think about “whatever is true.” What does he mean by that? I don’t think he means that we should only think about those things that are factually true, like 2 + 2 = 4. That’s true, but that is not what the Bible typically refers to as the truth. The truth lifted up in Scripture is something deeper and more magnificent. We read in Psalm 25:5, for example: “Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation.” Or in Psalm 119:160: “The sum of your word is truth; and every one of your righteous ordinances endures forever.” God’s word is God’s truth, and that is the most important truth there is, the one that we should be thinking about. 

Jesus, who told us that he is the way, the truth, and the life, also made this promise: “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13). Whatever is true, think about this. Think about the truth we find in God’s Word, the truth that God loves us, and loves every created being; that God calls us to love our neighbor, and love our enemy; and that the greatest truths we can learn in this world, we learn from God. Think about this, Paul teaches us. 

Whatever Is Honorable (Noble)

And next, Paul writes, think about “whatever is honorable.” Whatever is noble, whatever is lofty, whatever is worthy of respect, think about this. Have you noticed how the people who most exemplify this rarely make the news? Dishonor makes the news much more often. Even in literature, I have noticed that there are more examples of dishonorable people than honorable ones. Perhaps that is why the book, “To Kill a Mockingbird” is so beloved. It offers us an example of someone who is honorable – Atticus Finch. There are other examples, of course, but you have to look for them. 

You may know some people in your life who you consider honorable. Talk to them, learn from them, think about them. You’ll get enough on the dishonorable without looking, so look for those who are worthy of respect, emulate them, and consider how you might become that person for someone else. Remembering, as you do so, what God says in Psalm 16:3: “As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble, in whom is all my delight.” Why not strive to be one of those holy ones, in whom God takes delight? 

Whatever Is Just (Right)

And then, Paul writes, think about what is just, what is right. Of course, this is where we get our words, justice and righteousness. And these, too, are things that we don’t hear a lot about on a daily basis. We have to choose to pursue them. “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,” Jesus teaches us (Matthew 6:33). But how do we seek these if we are not thinking about them? And how do we think about them if we don’t know them? And so, Psalm 1 teaches us to take delight in the “law of the Lord,” and on that law, meditate day and night. Spend time thinking about those things that are just and right, how to strive after them, and how to make them more common in our world, how to make justice “roll down like water and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream,” as the prophet Amos puts it (Amos 5:24). 

Whatever Is Pure

And then, Paul writes, think about whatever is pure. “Blessed are the pure in heart,” Jesus famously said (Matthew 5:8). Which is similar to what the Psalmist prayed centuries before: “Truly God is good to the upright, to those who are pure in heart” (Psalm 73:1). But how can we be pure in heart? How can we keep our way pure? the Psalmist asks, in Psalm 119. The answer: By guarding it according to God’s word. To keep our way pure, we must guard it, we must protect it. How? By being careful of what we think about. Just before this verse in Philippians, Paul reminds us that when we remain faithful in our ways, and turn to God in prayer, we receive the peace of God, which guards our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. 

Paul, remember, is writing these words from a prison cell. And when he uses the word, “guard,” he is referring to the soldiers who are on guard duty. Maybe he’s even looking at his guards as he writes these words. And he realizes that he has a peace from God that is truly guarding him and protecting him. It is guarding and protecting his heart and his mind. And that is something we all need, isn’t it? A peace that comes from above, that protects our hearts and our minds as they are inundated with news and events that are anything but peace-filled. Believe that the Lord is near, turn to him often in prayer, and that peace will guard your heart and your mind.

Whatever Is Pleasing (Lovely)

And then, Paul writes, think about whatever is pleasing, whatever is lovely. Not just lovely and pleasing to us, but lovely and pleasing to God. In another of Paul’s letters, to the Ephesians, Paul writes: “Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:10). We all know, in a general way, what is pleasing to the Lord, but try to be specific, I think Paul means. For you, for example, tomorrow morning, or this evening at dinnertime, at school or at work, on the golf course, when you are shopping, try to figure out what is pleasing to the Lord. Only you can answer that, because no one else can live your life. Live it as though every moment matters, and every moment is a chance to please the Lord. 

Whatever Is Commendable (Admirable)

And then, finally, Paul writes, think about whatever is commendable, whatever is admirable. If there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. And what is more worthy of praise than God? You may have noticed that I have been using the Psalms throughout this sermon, and the last of the psalms, Psalm 150, brings it all to a glorious end with a song singing praise to God. “Praise the Lord!” begins this Psalm, “Hallelujah!” “Praise God in his sanctuary … Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his surpassing greatness!” And, finally, “Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!” The psalms end with those words, reminding us to praise the Lord always. 

Or, as Paul puts it in this letter: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.” From his prison cell, Paul rejoices. He praises the Lord, who is always near – to him, and to us. 

And, Paul thinks about these things. He chooses to think about these things. And by thinking about these things, Paul receives the peace that surpasses all understanding. The peace that guards his heart and his mind in Christ Jesus. The peace which Jesus makes available to us all: “Peace I leave with you,” he said. “My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”

Think about this, about these things that are true, and as you do so, may the peace that surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.