6 Essentials to Think About

What should we think about? Anxiety, depression, stress, bad news, pessimism – how can we possibly have mental health in this world. Social media is filled with negativity and hate. The news spews out doom and gloom. It’s hard to discern what is real and what is not in all forms of media.

How can we maintain a realistic and optimistic outlook under these circumstances?

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 (ESV)

Let’s look at these six thought patterns that can help us.

True

Thinking about what is true is probably easier said than done. First, we must discern the truth. We are looking for what is reliable, authentic and real. And not everything that is true is something we want to think about. More on that in a while. We can rely on God’s Word to be true. We know that our experiences are true. Meditating and thinking about God’s Word then is a good choice in how we use our time.

Honorable

Also we might think of this as being noble. This is a quality that inspires or something that is worthy of respect. Acts of kindness could be thought of as honorable. Doing the right thing under difficult circumstances also qualifies as being honorable or noble

Just

We don’t have to scan news media too long to see injustice. Even popular entertainment makes a lot of money in providing injustice as a point of conflict. Personally, I try to never consume entertainment that features corruption as a major plot line. Seeking out justice to contemplate and think about is a worthwhile activity.

Pure

What is holy? Who is holy? These are things to think about. When we spend time thinking about the pure and holy, we are transported to a sublime realm. God’s Word is again full of the ideas of purity and holiness. Think about those things.

Lovely

Think about places that are beautiful. The mountains, the oceans, forests, hills, streams and rivers – whatever inspires you to reflect on beauty is what is meant here.

Commendable

This is very similar to the previous quality mentioned. Your thought life should feature the admirable. What examples of admirable or commendable behavior have you observed or heard about?

Finally

There is an umbrella that all of these things must fit under – that of being excellent or praise worthy. Not all things that are true fit under that umbrella, so take care here.

How?

It is easy to say that we ought to think about these things. It is a little harder to achieve. Here are some suggestions to help you.

Be intentional

Your thought life doesn’t need to be a random path of reactions to the experiences of your life. Using some discipline, with God’s help you should set aside specific time to feed your mind with his Word. That is one thing that has all of these qualities. Taking time to talk to God and share your heart will stimulate your mind in the right direction.

Limit media consumption

If you are barraged with non-stop news media, social media and entertainment of all forms, it will be extremely difficult if not impossible to ensure that your thought life remains healthy. Take steps today to limit all forms of media consumption.

Pray

Always ask God to help you protect your heart and mind. He wants the best for you and he will help you do the necessary things to think as you ought to.

Your Turn

What needs to happen next for you? I urge you to take some definite and tangible steps today to guard your mind and turn your thinking into something good in your life.