“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8
It begins with desire filtered through the mind. When our heart aligns with God’s character, it is a good place to be. When our aim agrees with the reality of God’s Kingdom, we know heaven’s resources are at our disposal. And when our focus allows Jesus to live HIS life through us, we eagerly execute our willpower with HIM. The outcome is a taste of godliness for all to share.
The apostle Paul lists a few godly values we need to focus our hearts on and learn to practice in our everyday life. He emphasizes whatever circumstances we face, we need to learn to focus on what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy. The acronym I use is “THE J PPLC” approach. (You may want to create your own).
What if every situation you find yourself in, your mind automatically went through this checklist. And you align your heart with your willpower to habitually respond. Like all good habits, it starts with intentional focus. As we practice each step, our mind becomes wired to immediately respond. Then our willpower is trained to follow.
Let’s take the example of social media.
You are flipping through your influencer list and stop when the emotional words hit a cord in your heart. As you listen and investigate further, you are becoming angry. If not equip to handle emotional issues, you immediately comment with an angry reply. The battle begins. But what if instead you followed Paul’s criteria.
Before jumping to conclusions and immediately responding, you did your homework. First, how would you verify what you heard is actually the truth? Is it all true or only a part of it?
Next, what would be the most honorable outcome of such an event? If this be true, how can I best reply in an honorable fashion?
What would Biblical justice look like? Do I have a few Bible examples I can share? How would Jesus handle such a situation? What would an innocent person with a clean heart see here?
How can love lead here? What would be the loving act to perform? How do I reply with love?
Can anyone be commended for there actions here? What can I acknowledge was properly done? How can I commend them?
Was anything achieved beyond the normal? Can I recognize any excellence in the situation? What can I praise here?
These are only a few questions that come to mind. But they are a starting point to filter your mind with a response that is built on godly virtue. At first, it may take a while to sort through the entire list. But this will allow you to gain control of your emotions and seek a healthy response to choose.
The object is to train your mind to filter your desires and the facts before responding. As this over time becomes a habit, you will learn when to respond immediately and when best to wait. As always, you will lean on Jesus in prayer during the process. HE will also open your heart and mind to questions and concerns you haven’t even knew existed.
The bottom-line is to learn how to filter your desires with godly virtue before taking any action.
Rooting For You in Christ!
Dr. Mike
Faith-Integrator, Encourager, Scribbler
“We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,” (Colossians 1:9)
Aspirations and Writings Neatly Bound in Book Formats:
* indicates audio version only available at Apple Books
- Power Up With Jesus Book Series- Aspirations for a Grace-Paced Life *
- The Adventurous Journey of Transformation in Christ *
- Overflowing Prayers Rooted in Jesus Christ v1 & v2
- Dancing With God: A Life-Giving Worldview *
- Great Business Emulates a Good God
- Stay Free…Avoid Worldly Traps
- Simply The Messenger
- Unequally Married
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