It has been a while, but there was a time when I was spending hours regularly at the Kootenai County Jail. Technically it is called the Kootenai County Public Safety Building. On one occasion, I was there to visit an inmate whose name was Tim. For about 20 minutes, he was telling me how important it is, in a place like that, to have a positive attitude. For the 45 minutes preceding that visit, I was seated among two dozen other visitors – mostly women. Most were complaining about just about everything connected to the situation. Many of them knew each other from previous visits – if not in other ways. There were plenty of expletives. Most didn’t care what they looked like – hookers, criminals, wanabee criminals and punks. Most looked twice their age, due, I had guessed, to the ravages of their own sins. There was a marked difference between the man on the inside and the relatives of others on the outside. And most of the difference was in their outlook and state of mind. I can’t speak to the innocence of the inmate – he was probably guilty, but he was released anyway. And I never saw him again. On that occasion, the best mind and heart that I could see – was the one on the inside looking out, rather than those in the waiting room – waiting to get in. Whether intentional or not, the prisoner appeared to have learned the precepts of this verse.
May WE consider and perhaps learn those principles as well. Who knows maybe we’ll have to spend time in jail like Peter, Paul and Tim.
Generally speaking, Paul’s counsel to us here is – “THINK ON THESE THINGS.”
The first lesson this gives us is that we have some control over this part of our lives. We have power to control our minds, but we also have power to relinquish that control. Some people give their minds over to philosophies and religions that are contrary to reason – like evolution. And others give up control of their minds to narcotics and alcohol. Assuming that most of us think we are in charge of our minds, do we use that potential dominion?
There are millions of people whose thoughts are linked and hooked to certain key things. And they are unwilling or incapable of ripping them from those hooks. Call it “habit;” call it “obsession;” call it “addition,” but maybe it should be called “undisciplined laziness.” I have no proof, but I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that many Christians are at their mental weakest first thing in the morning. Maybe it is just me. Many of us have a series of things we do as our day begins, and we do them without thought. Maybe it is turn on coffee pot, or pour a cup which you programed into the machine the night before. Is that before or after you get dressed? At what point do you check your phone or computer? What do you check first – texts, emails, your favorite news feed? How addicted are you to some game on your phone, and how quickly do your turn to it? At what point do say “hello” to the Lord? When do you open the scriptures? You say to yourself that you are in complete control of your life, and yet there are some constant habits. How many other things are there in our lives which we could control but do not?
How many Christian men see a pretty girl and their minds automatically think: “There’s a soul that needs Christ? How many see a long-haired, disheveled-beared, leather-jacketed biker and say, “I’m glad he’s not sitting next to me at the coffee shop?” How often have we heard someone say they attend “Real Life,” and we automatically doubt his salvation? We shouldn’t jump to conclusions because of habit, or our own attitudes bent in that direction. “He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls” – Proverbs 25:28. Paul is telling us to put a guard at the gate of the city of our minds. Nobody should get inside without first showing his passport – signed by the Saviour. And I’m not talking about the pretty girl, that long-haired biker or that neo-evangelical. I’m talking about our thoughts about those people. Even more importantly – nothing should leave our hearts, through our mouths, without a valid exit visa.
Not only are we exhorted to control our thought-life. Not only are we commanded NOT to think evil thoughts or to think about evil. We are commanded to think POSITIVELY about good things. Think about things that are “true.” Let your mind be exercised, filled, lifted, up and empowered by truth and the highest of all truths. The highest truths are those which are filled with Jehovah. But so many of us spend so much time thinking about mere trifles there is no time to think about God. So many are habitually filled with negatives and falsehoods, we aren’t apt to consider what is “true.” The stones on the wall behind me might illustrate what I’m talking about. There might be people here who can tell me the number of stones embedded in this wall. But without really working at it they couldn’t recount the theme of my message this morning. And the message from last Wednesday has long been washed out of their minds, because they never gave it a second thought once the final “amen” was uttered. Whatsoever things are true, think on these things – meditate on these things. If what I have been preaching isn’t “true,” then you have an excuse not to consider them. In fact, you have an excuse absent yourself from our services. But if they are true, then aren’t we exhorted to think on these things – even to review these things?
And think about things that are “honest.” This is the Greek word “semnos,” and it is a bit rare in the Bible. It is translated “honest” only once, and on the other three occasions it is rendered “grave.” It means “serious,” “venerable” or “reverent.” How many of the things of the world are not really true or honest – not important or even real – the basketball tournament, last year’s football season and this coming year of baseball?. And whatsoever things are “just” – right and obligatory, think on these. Then whatsoever things are “pure” – white-robed, clean and morally upright, think on these. Where do the writings and movies of Stephen King and Wes Craven fit into these words? How much of Tic-Tok and Facebook is pure and just?
Paul speaks of spiritual and heavenly thoughts, but then he drops down just a bit lower. It is beneficial even to think about the things that “lovely” and “beautiful.” I can still picture an early morning 20 years ago when the Oldfields and Kjeldgaards were in Wyoming. The sun was rising over the plains to the east of Jackson. And off to the west stood the majestic Grand Teton Mountains. First, the rising sun only hit the very highest peaks, but then slowly it poured down those mountain slopes like syrup over huge ice cream cones. It was fantastic; it was beautiful. And if remembered and considered in the light of our great God and Creator, those thoughts contain value. (And it occurred to me yesterday, the four of us did the same thing last Fall, on the shore of Lake Tahoe.)
I remember a few things from my years in Junior high school, now called Middle School. I remember first meeting my future bride. I remember the day John F. Kennedy was shot and killed. I remember our school band and our director Mr. Allen. And I remember that in our art class, the teacher insisted on playing classical music while we worked. When Sahalie was first in school, out on west Seltice, her teacher also played classical music. When I mentioned it to the woman, and she pointed out the calming effect of good, beautiful music. There is nothing wrong with contemplating and enjoying beautiful things. There is great good in hearing, in picturing and in creating beautiful things.
After citing several things, Paul gathered everything else up in two words. If there be any “virtue;” if there be any “praise” think on these things. The Holy Spirit wants us to strive to leave no room for sin in either our minds or our hearts. We should deliberately consider leaving no room for any kind of ugliness. It makes sense, if our hearts and minds are filled with the best things, there shouldn’t be room left for evil. Our minds are like the artists’ canvas, we can paint on them whatever we choose. Why not choose the very best?
Why has Paul chosen to exhort us like this?
First, because “as (a man) thinketh in his heart so is he.” – Proverbs 23:7. I have heard that the world is turning out 10,000 new inventions every week. All of those new products, gadgets, widgets and doohickeys began as mere ideas. Obviously, ideas and thoughts – good and bad – often grow into things more substantial.
In your case, someone has hurt you, and you refuse to get rid of the memory of his insult. What does that thought produce? How does it develop? Vengeance? Hatred? Retaliation? Delight when he is hurt? Does this make you a better person? Don’t we often end up somewhat like the person who hurt us? Conversely, the person who is deliberately looking for the best in people and situations, often finds exactly what he is looking for.
When I first worked at the mall, there was a cantankerous coworker whom very few people liked. But he got along with me pretty well. I think the reason for that was because he reminded me so much of my own father. As a result, perhaps I could see things in him that others couldn’t see. He told me some of the deep dark secrets of his heart; things that made him what he was. He gave me things and helped me in some ways, when he wouldn’t do that with anyone else. I thought about that man in ways that were different from everyone else. And my different way of thinking produced a different way of behaving – in both of us.
Thoughts produce deeds; thoughts and deeds make character; and character produces much of our destiny. Joseph the son of Jacob must have learned the precept Paul was teaching here in Philippians. He didn’t see his prison cell as a death sentence. He didn’t see two criminals when the baker and butler joined him in the prison. They were just two other human beings with problems just like himself. Proper thoughts of Christ and the Word of God, will produce God’s character in us, and that often means God’s blessings. But contemplation, meditation and concentration on anything less than the Lord usually produce miserable effects. For example, constant thinking about money will make us miserly, miserable, and perhaps unjust or dishonest. Rethinking and replaying the hurt which someone gave us, will likely make us a bitter, mean person.
There is a false philosophy which says it is important that we see both sides of life. For example, it is said that we need some exposure to the darker sides of society in order to be well-rounded and well-grounded. Don’t be deceived about having your sinful fling and sowing your wild oats. Your time in scenes of pornography will create an indelible stain on your soul that you likely will never be able to remove. It will be like some ugly tattoo that you foolishly permitted into your flesh. But this tattoo is in your soul which is far worse. And remember that “whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap.” Those things which we plant in our hearts will spout, grow and often produce a bumper crop.
How can we obey Paul’s exhortation?
First, deliberately choose and, if necessary, force yourself to contemplate the best things. That means, first and foremost, a daily ingesting of the Word of God and meditation in prayer. All of the things which Paul gives to us here are characteristics of the Lord Jesus Christ. The contemplation of Christ Jesus will help us to become more like Christ Jesus. Add to the scriptures good reading materials, preferably good books along with good music. These things feed not only our minds, but our souls as well.
A few years ago, I bought a CD with some of the music of Ralph Vaughn Williams. I bought it because there was one piece that I wanted – “Fantasia on Greensleeves.” Vaughn Williams is a modern English composer whose work is unlike anything I had heard before. At first I did not enjoy the rest of that CD; it was bland, repetitious, almost syrupy-sickening. But the more that I listened to it, the more that it grew upon me, and now my opinion is quite different. I remember years ago, when Judy and I had lunch with the Fred Nimmos at a Spokane Valley buffet. Three of us filled our glasses with various things to drink, but Brother Fred didn’t even have water. A friendly waitress came by and asked him if she could get him something to drink, but he declined. Then he said that he was trying to condition himself not to drink anything when he ate. And he added that it was extremely difficult. He was trying to make what he considered a proper change in his life, but it was hard.
I’m not convinced that drinking a glass of water or tea at supper is a bad thing – maybe I’m wrong. But there probably are many things in my life which are bad and ought to be eliminated. Maybe it is as simple at switching from soda to water during lunch. Maybe it is much more serious than that. We all need to throw away the disgusting and pick up the new and beautiful. It might be very difficult at first, because we have trained and poisoned ourselves so badly. But, as Paul suggests, we can discipline ourselves to enjoy the true, honest, virtuous and beautiful. We can change from the disgusting to the virtuous. The Lord commands us to move from the putrid to the pure. We can do it for the Lord, and we can do it for the benefit of ourselves and others.
And remember, the key is in the context of Paul’s exhortation. Worry about nothing; pray and be thankful about everything. And God shall keep your hearts and your minds, through Christ Jesus. “If there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things,” through the grace and power of the Lord Jesus Christ.