“Finally, beloved, 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
The Apostle Paul helped to start the church in Philippi. He started this church on his second missionary journey. Philippi was a city in Greece, situated on a major road that connected Rome to much of its territory to the east. It was a great city for Paul to establish a church where the good news of God could travel freely throughout the empire.
Unlike most of the churches that Paul started, Philippi was not started within the Jewish community. Most of the people who made up this church were Roman citizens. The church was made up of people from various walks of life. Like the city of Philippi, the church was economically and culturally diverse. It is to this church that Paul writes the letter known as Philippians.
In the letter to the Philippians, Paul writes about a great many things. Perhaps the most important topic that Paul discusses is found at the end of this great letter. Paul acknowledges that there are difficult situations in his life and the lives of those to whom he is writing. However, Paul shares his “Secret” (4:12) to a life of contentment. Paul encourages the people to focus on things that are, “honorable, just, pure, pleasing, commendable, excellent and worthy of praise.”
Each of us have both positive and negative situations in our lives. Our days are filled with trials and blessings. If we want to enjoy the life of contentment that Paul writes about, we must learn the same practice of gratitude practiced by the Apostle Paul so long ago. We must intentionally focus on the good things in our lives. Our minds can quickly shift focus from one thing to the next. We must train ourselves to give thanks and concentrate on what is praiseworthy in our lives. This is not to say that we ignore the difficult situations and fail to deal with trouble in our lives. It is, instead, a determination to prevent the negative from demanding all our attention and energy.
I want to encourage you to take some time today and, “Think about these things.” We have so much to be grateful for. Start with the things God has done that are “worthy of praise.” God’s love has made such a difference in our lives. When we realize all we have to be thankful for, we find contentment for our souls and a joy that inspires us to share good news with others.
– Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
