Right Thinking and Right Living

“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.  The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.” –Philippians 4:8-9 (NKJV).

Right thinking is necessary to anyone’s peace of mind and imperative for the Christian.  Paul enumerated eight areas of right thinking:  whatever is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy.  He gave four areas of right living, and furthermore stated that he himself could be the role model for exemplifying them.  These were what were learned, received, heard, and seen in Paul.  He was one who demonstrated “do what I do and say what I say.”  Furthermore, following an example such as he set would lead to the peace of God.

As I read and meditated upon these verses from Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi, I wondered how many of us could genuinely examine our thinking and living and consider them examples for others to follow?  How could Paul be so assured that his example was worthy of following? Outward action cannot be divorced from inward thinking.  “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7).  Paul wrote many statements about his spiritual practices which help us to see that telling Christians to follow his example was not an egotistical pat on the back for him.  Think on a few of them:  “I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (Philippians 4:11).  “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14).  “But whatsoever things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ” (Phil. 3:7).  Paul was spiritually disciplined.  He kept his thinking and his actions in check.  Therefore, he was not afraid or ashamed to say that believers could watch him and emulate what they saw in him as a spiritual role model.

I think of  Annie Johnson Flint’s  poem with these lines:

            “We are the only Bible

            The careless world will read;

            We are the sinner’s gospel,

            We are the scoffer’s creed;

            We are the Lord’s last message

            Written in deed and word;

            What if the lines are crooked?

            What if the print is blurred?

To think right thoughts and to follow right lifestyles are necessary for our own peace of mind and certainly for our exemplary Christian conduct.  “Think on these things” was an earnest plea from Paul to Christians young and old.  If we knew someone was watching and following our example, would we be pleased with the patterns of living they see in us?  God calls us to meditate upon our life practices and our thought patterns.  “Be ye therefore holy, for I am holy,” is His daily plea for us.  The result will be peace in the heart and virtuous life in conduct and lifestyle.