What’s on your mind these days?

If you’re like me, there’s probably at least one thing that has you worried, at least a little. But over and over in the Bible, we get the message, though, that we should not fear, that we should not worry. But how?

In Mindscape: What to Think About Instead of Worrying, which I just finished reading, Timothy Witmer spends a whole book exploring that question, and he does it by lingering on just one sentence:

“Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4:8).

This is one of those favorite verses that some of you may have memorized, but sometimes we become so familiar with a passage we gloss over it. Rather than glossing over it, dig into it and let it live in you.

While I don’t have the space here to explain all of the beauties of thinking on these things, here’s a way to start: Meditate on Philippians 4:8. Read it, soak it in and consider where your thoughts are in line with those traits and where you need to be transformed. For instance, consider truth: Where are you believing lies, and how can you reorient to the truth? Or purity: Where are you taking in garbage and rather need to think on beauty instead?

And while you meditate on these words, remember this: Jesus is all of them. Go look for his truth, his nobility, his loveliness, and all the rest. That’s certainly something worth thinking about.

Witmer’s book, which, along with many other good and helpful resources, is available in our church library.