There is something amazing and incredibly unfathomable about the human brain that has puzzled scientists since they first considered studying this organ in our heads. The more information they gather about it, the more complicated it has become. “Scientists have known for centuries that the brain is the seat of human thought, but we’re still in the dark about how it works… Your brain has 86 billion neurons, give or take — on the same order as the number of stars in the Milky Way” (The Allen institute). Let that sink in for a moment… Man has tried to measure the brain in order to understand how we think, but God has already given us a system to measure/regulate our thoughts. It is in the Bible with specific instructions on how to think.
In his letter to the Philippians chapter 4, the Apostle Paul gave an eight (8) point standard against which we can measure or regulate our thought life. In other words, by inspiration from the Lord, he left instructions for us on how to think. The Apostle Paul was qualified by Jesus to share such instructions from the Lord, see Acts 22: 14,15. Here are the 8 standards on how to think and regulate/measure our thoughts. “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Phil. 4:8).
The instruction is clear.
It goes like this – “Whatsoever things are …, think on these things.” For this week it is – “Whatsoever things are true, think on these things!” However, what does that look like in practical terms? What does “true” mean? In Greek, the word, and adjective, is “alēthēs” – “true, loving the truth, speaking the truth, truthful” (Blue Letter Bible-BLB). An adjective is a describing word therefore “alēthēs” is depicting what our thoughts look like. Are they truthful? Are they reflecting a love for the truth, are they being manifested in us speaking the truth?
Dwell On…
Whatsoever things are true… Where can we find true things to think “on”? (My spell check is trying to tell me to use “of” instead of “on” but I like the word “on” as in “dwell on” – so sorry spell check, take that!). What came to mind was John 17:17 when Jesus was praying to the Father for His disciples (and those who would believe them – That covers us Believers). Jesus said to the Father, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” When I looked up the word “truth” in
Alētheia
Greek – I found “alētheia” truth – a noun which is derived from “alēthēs.” Now Jesus was saying, “sanctify them through thy truth…” – which means “to purify by expiation[atonement]:… to “free from the guilt of sin…”…”to purify internally by renewing of the soul…” – “to separate from profane things and dedicate to God…” – “to purify” (BLB) – That was what sanctify meant and this sanctification was done through the truth of God and for clarification (because He knew some of us would ask – ‘where is such truth?’) Jesus said – “…thy word is truth.”
…Every Hour on the Hour
Where do we go to find “whatsoever things are true?” – we go to the Word of God. We self-regulate by asking ourselves, “How does my thinking line up with the truth, which is the Word of God?” – I dare us to ask that question at least once every hour on the hour? Have I been thinking “on”, dwelling on whatsoever things are true?If we find our thoughts have not been all that stellar, then we have a choice. We can change our thinking to line up with “whatsoever things are true” which means whatsoever things line up with the Word of God.
Deliberately Think on These Things
Let us challenge ourselves this week to deliberately think on these things, namely, whatsoever things are true. Every hour on the hour or any time we catch ourselves thinking outside of the “goodness” of the Word of God, the truth, we change our thinking to agree with what the Bible says. Can we do that? I will be doing that… Oh what an amazing time we will have this week.
Next week we look at the next standard … “Whatsoever things are honest.”