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Think About it {Phil 4:8}


I received this devotional today and I just had to share it's message:

We choose what we watch and read, the conversations we have and the time we spend with God and in His Word. If the mind is not filled with good, trust me, the enemy will fill it with bad.

Ain't that the truth?

We live in a world influenced by the power of Satan and sin. The media bombards us with war, poverty and sickness. Musical "artists" (and I use that term lightly) glorify alcohol, sexual immorality and violence. We have TV series that showcase teenage moms and reality shows with people/families who are so out of touch with reality....... it's unreal. We hear about break-ups, break-ins and break-downs every day.

So with all the world's distortion and deception.....we can become desensitized. We also can find ourselves compromised, which in turn affects our thoughts, decisions and actions. It can be very difficult to keep our minds free from the negativity. Our mind is our control center. It's the old "every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit" dealio.......(Matt. 7:17). Filling our minds with positive thoughts, images, and ideas will help us to remain positive/hopeful even when we have the trials and setbacks in life (which we will!)

But it's a choice.

We have to make a conscious choice to surround ourselves with as much positive influence as possible. We have to choose to turn off the TV when there are more "bleeps" than words.....we have to choose to listen to encouraging music {K-LOVE.com is constantly playing for me} and choose to be with like-minded uplifting people as much as possible.

But most importantly.......choose to make the time for God by reading His Word and let it deposit into our hearts and mind. When we do all these things, we are suiting up in God's Armor. God's armor brings victory because it is far more than a protective covering. It is the very life of Jesus Christ Himself. It is a life of freedom from the despair we face daily in this fallen world.

And lastly, people will take notice. The attitude that you show in your daily living is a witness to others. Even when things are not going well, if you keep the joy of the Lord in your life, you will show people something that they will want. We can slowly plant seeds in people's lives. And isn't that what we are supposed to be doing?

So today......choose the Light...for yourself, and for others as well.

The Message version of Philippians 4:8 ROCKS:

Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.



I leave you with this quote {from the same devotional}

"You can't keep a bird from flying over your head
but you can keep it from building a nest in your hair."




Peace and love~

*~Michelle~*

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you!

katdish said...

You're right, Michelle. We must choose "whatever is good" and we must put on the full armor of God so that we can go out and plant seeds. It's a messy world, and to reach people, we have to get into the mess without getting caught up in it.

Bill (cycleguy) said...

thanks for sharing this today Michelle. I am trying hard to make right choices of what I read, watch and listen to (even at my age). I remember Jesus saying "out of the heart the mouth speaks." I want Him to come out of my mouth not something less than glorifying. I don't always succeed but it is worth the daily fight.

christy rose said...

Excellent devotional Michelle!!

I love the Message version of that Scripture!! God is working me into His most excellent harmonies! And that sounds divine!! :)

Hope you have a great week!! :)

~*Michelle*~ said...

Thanks everyone....this message really spoke to me, so important for this generation!!!

@Katdish

"we have to get into the mess without getting caught up in it."

very true!

Kristina P. said...

So, is now not the time to tell you that my Word of the Year is Smut? :)

~*Michelle*~ said...

HAHAHAHAHHAHAHA Kristina!

You never fail to make me laugh out loud!

Debby@Just Breathe said...

Amen! I love that quote.

Mich said...

great reminder for the day. Thank you!

Anonymous said...

Definitely with you. We have the choice and need to make the right ones! It's always interesting to figure out how to be laborers in the harvest fields while keeping our minds and eyes on things above. All I know is, I need a lot of grace! Thanks Michelle.

~*Michelle*~ said...

Jason, love the term

"laborers in the harvest fields"......

Tracy said...

Good word Michelle.

This passage from Philippians has long been a favorite of mine; one that I have to keep returning to.

photogr said...

Yes sadly, we are bombarded with temptations of sin daily and it is glorified by the media unfortunately. However, that is what sells and generates revenue for the media.

We still have the right to not view it and lead our lives as true follower of Christ. By setting this example, we can become witnesses for those that seek to pull their selves out of despair and the temptations of sin. Through our actions, we can make a difference.

Kim said...

Thanks for the reminder! I needed this. Sometimes it is so easy to go with the flow, and truthfully, I probably go WITH the flow more than I go AGAINST it.

I need to mindfully go against it.

Michelle said...

This is a good reminder, for sure. We do have to choose. Not too long ago I lost my mom and I let the negativity creep in, big time. I really hated life and did not care if I lived or died. I didn't care about God either. I had let the negativity destroy my relationship with God and that was the saddest thing. thankfully God had grace upon grace for me and even though I still have bad days and suffer from depression at times and still miss my mom and mourn her, I can't let go of the hope I have in Christ. Great post :)

 

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