What's On Your Mind?
By Dr. Betty Price

When I counsel women, I tell them “You have to know you are complete in Jesus. You don’t need a man to meet your needs because the Word says, And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:19). If we would learn to really trust God, we could have such a beautiful life.  However, if you are not committed to staying in the Word, you are going to be led by your mind, your feelings and your body. If you think the things God tells us to think, you will be on your way because He is the most important One to please, and if you please Him, you will end up pleasing yourself and everybody else around you.  If the ones who are not pleased leave you because you are with the Lord, it is ok.  You do not need them around you any way.

 The things listed in Philippians 4:8 are where we should be giving our attention. For example, whatever things are true—that means whatever things are real and genuine.  Not just whatever is the truth.  For instance, we don’t want to dwell on a situation where a man ran off with another man’s wife.  That may be true, but that is not noble, honorable, or praiseworthy. No, we want to think on things highly respected, revered, and that have the dignity of holiness on them. When we say whatever things are just, that has to do with right behavior towards God and man.

    Whatever things are pure means that what you are thinking on is morally spotless, stainless, chaste, undefiled, and free from moral pollution, filth, dirt and impurities.  You have to will to think on these things.  Whatever things are lovely refers to those things that are pleasing, winsome, kind, gracious –things that encourage love and kindness.  Our thoughts as believers should not be thoughts of meanness, grumbling, murmuring and criticism. We have too much of that in the body of Christ.  Our thoughts are to be focused on things that are lovely, that build people up and not tear them down.