Philippians 4:8 - Guarding Your Mind

Thinkfor a moment about how many thoughts enter your mind every day. Researchersestimate that thousands of thoughts pass through our minds daily. Some arehelpful, many are harmless, but others can be destructive. Satan knows that ifhe can capture your mind, he can influence your emotions, your decisions, youractions, and eventually your character. That is why the battle for theChristian life is largely the battle for the mind. Noticethe connection with the previous verses. In verse 6 Paul tells us to prayinstead of worrying. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayerand supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God”. Thenin verse 7 he gives us God's wonderful promise: “And the peace of God, whichsurpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through ChristJesus”. The word guard is a military term. It means to guard or stand watchover. God's peace stands like a soldier around our hearts and minds. Butnow Paul tells us something else. While God guards our hearts with His peace,we have the responsibility to guard our minds with His truth. God neverintended for our minds to remain empty. An empty mind quickly becomes occupiedby fear, temptation, discouragement, resentment, lust, pride, or worry. Theanswer is not merely to stop thinking wrong thoughts. The answer is to replacethem with right thoughts. This is a principle found throughout Scripture. InProverbs 23:7 we read, "For as a man thinks in his heart, so ishe." Ourthoughts eventually become our character. The Lord Jesus emphasized the sametruth. In Matthew 15:19 He said, "For out of the heart proceed evilthoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness,blasphemies." Everything begins on the inside before it ever appearson the outside. Paul also wrote in Romans 12:2, "And be not conformedto this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." Noticethat transformation comes through the renewing of the mind. Theworld says, "Follow your heart." God says, "Renew yourmind." The world fills our minds with fear, anger, impurity, selfishness,and confusion. God fills our minds with truth, hope, purity, love, and peace. Someonehas wisely said, "You cannot keep the birds from flying over your head,but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair." We cannot alwayscontrol the thoughts that suddenly enter our minds, but we can choose whetherwe dwell on them. A temptation may come, but we do not have to invite it tostay. Paulends this verse with a command: "Think on these things." Thephrase means to deliberately dwell on them, to continually consider them, tocarefully evaluate them, and to let them shape your thinking. The Christianlife is not lived by accident. It is lived by intentionally filling our mindswith God's truth.  Overthe next several days we are going to examine each of these wonderful qualitiesPaul lists. They provide a divine filter for every thought that enters ourminds. Before we allow a thought to remain, we should ask, "Is it true? Isit honest? Is it just? Is it pure? Is it lovely? Is it of good report? Does itdisplay virtue? Is it worthy of praise?" If the answer is yes, dwell onit. If not, replace it with God's Word. Remember, if you want to enjoy thepeace of God in your heart, you must also guard your mind with the truth ofGod. Let's ask the Lord today to help us win the battle for our minds. Let’sPray: Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us Your Word to guide our thinking.Forgive us for allowing worry, fear, bitterness, impurity, and worldlyinfluences to occupy our minds. Help us, by the power of Your Holy Spirit, tothink on the things that honor You. Guard our hearts with Your peace, renew ourminds with Your truth, and transform our lives for Your glory. In Jesus' name,Amen. Godbless and may you have a wonderful wonderful day!