Right Thinking

         I used to think that when you get older, it is easier for you to have pleasant thoughts.  Well, such has not been the case with me and I guess I could put the blame on world conditions, political division, decreasing moral standards of people in general and a general lack of concern for God and His Word.  Believers, however do have the ability to know the end of the story because of the possession of the Word of God.  We think that the world is just going to continue until the Lord comes and so we go about our business without too much concern.  It is almost like the song that went, "Que sera, que sera."  Loosely translated means, "whatever will be will be." The believer does have the assurance that God knows about all things, He knows what He is doing and His end will be accomplished no matter what the world does one way or another.  So, what are we to do?  As usual, God's Word does have the solution.    Philippians 4:8 says, "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."  
        It is difficult for the world or for any one individual to be in control of your thoughts.  We can try to influence them by putting visual stimuli around here and there, such as does the advertising community.  Having been on a number of diets, there is one that has a lot of beautifully pictured food.  The containers are fabulous if only you could eat the picture.  The contents are very unattractive and do not match the picture on the box.  So, we can try to influence the thoughts of people by visual means or even music or aromas, but the mind may play a trick or two on you with those items introduced into your life.  For the Believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, the course should be as Paul described to the Philippians in the above passage.  The passage is a good lesson for us just because these are not the normal way we think.  We are attracted more by the sensual, the outlandish, the lies of the world, the gossip and virtually anything that is horrible.  It is a sad description of our minds, but that is what we do.  Paul exhorted us to take control of our minds and to think and the specific things mentioned in verse eight.  We are to think on things that are true, things that are honest, things that are just, things that are pure, things that are lovely and things that are of good report.  If we don't take action, and deliberately "renew" our mind, we will be just going, "whatever will be, will be" and continue to think that which is unprofitable, evil, bad, untrue, sensual or whatever about the people in our lives.  In the end, it is nothing more than a waste of time, so redeem the time now and and take the admonition of Paul to the Romans seriously in Romans 12:1-2.  Praise God today that He renews our mind.  Think on that which is good.