Phillipians 4:7, “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding
shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
I hope you ladies don’t mind sitting in on a little counseling session
with me today. Who am I counseling? Myself! Yes, pastor’s wives need encouragement
and exhortation just as much as the next person. As you can tell by our
opening verse, I am performing some scriptural therapy upon my heart and
mind… Without a peaceful mind, one cannot have a peaceful life. It is
the best and quickest way to reduce your level of anxiety! By the way,
how peaceful is your spirit these days? What does it take for you to think
worthy thoughts? I certainly don’t think it’s going to hurt for us to
take yet another look at the qualities of wholesome thoughts as found
in verse 8 of Phillipians 4:
Philip. 4:8, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever
things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if
there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
1. True
2. Honest
3. Just
4. Pure
5. Lovely
6. Good Report
7. Virtue
8. Praise
Notice that there are 8 ways God has presented us with in order to reduce
our level of anxiety, eight pills for us to swallow. Scripturally speaking,
eight is the number of new beginnings. If you need a new thought life,
here is the secret! Observe the list closely - it begins with truth and
ends with praise. You see, one is only truly free to praise when all anxiety
has vanished…
Each of you must take God’s prescription and apply it to your own concerns.
It is similar to taking medication; once you ingest antibiotics, your
body stops fighting infection and loses it’s aptitude to overcome disease,
hence your immune system becomes deficient and rarely stands on it’s own
apart from outside support. Likewise, you must detect what things in your
life are true. You must study what is honest, just, and pure. You must
discover what is lovely and of good report. You must seek out virtue and
locate praise. Others can help you, but it is most important to learn
to fight spiritual ailments on your own. If the Holy Spirit is in control
of your life, then spiritual research should be taking place…
1 Corinthians 2:10, “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit:
for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.”
Ladies, our hearts and minds lie in darkness until the Spirit of God has
illuminated them! You say you are a Christian, but do you have a Christian
mind as described by God’s listing? Are you spending enough time with
Christ to have His very mind in you? Such a mind is dead to self and free
from weights and worry. It is a mind full of healthy thoughts and wholly
merged to the will of God. How might your friends and family be affected
were your mind structured accordingly? A weak mind is like a microscope
– it magnifies little things but cannot take in great things… Allow the
Holy Spirit to redirect your point of view; to reeducate you and replace
harmful data with wholesome material! The Bible says your life will then
be flooded with a peace that passeth all understanding; one can only imagine
how those associated with you could also be influenced.
Romans 12:2, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed
by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and
acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
Now that I have gained fresh insight into the mind of God through these
verses in Phillipians, I am better able to think my thoughts after Him.
I hope you are too!
God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2002 Pamela A. Iannello
