Right or Wrong? ‘Think on these things’

Thinking unhealthy thoughts is like consuming junk food for the soul.

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Our pastor preached on Philippians 4:4-9 and said following the Apostle Paul’s advice to “think on these things” should lead to behavior that reflects those “things.” So, how do we maintain the discipline of thinking on those “things”?  

Most of us know if you eat foods that are healthy, then you will increase the chance you are healthy. Eat junk food all the time, and you will struggle to maintain your health. Fewer of us realize what we think about all day affects our spiritual health. Messages we consume each day through television, social media and conversations with friends affect our thinking. Our thinking affects our souls.

You are right to note it requires discipline to guard one’s thoughts. Without a plan and without discipline, we likely will find ourselves passively consuming unhealthy messages that corrupt our thinking. Here are some basic suggestions for practicing discipline of wholesome thinking:

Set limits to your media consumption. If we are not careful, our consumption of mass media can fill our day. When it does, we effectively have turned over the agenda of our mind to others. Think about what kind of time limits you want to place on your television, social media and even radio consumption, and then stick with it.

Plan times for active, God-directed thinking. Do not allow the television or social media to set the agenda for your thoughts. Plan times when you will unplug. Take that time to think actively about the things of God. You could read your Bible, take a walk and marvel at God’s creation, or even sit quietly and think about God’s love for you.

Invite a partner to walk this journey with you. Changing habits is difficult. It often helps to ask a person to hold you accountable to your new plan and check in regularly. If time on the Internet is tripping up your thought patterns, consider using Internet accountability software that keeps track of the time you spend online and e-mails those results to a friend.

• When consuming any kind of media, ask yourself if it fits Paul’s criteria in Philippians 4:8-9. There really is no one list of what a Christian should or shouldn’t watch or listen to. Faithful Christians will answer those questions in different ways. Every Christian should get in the habit of asking these questions about consuming mass media that affects our thoughts: Is it true? Is it noble? Is it lovely? Those questions alone would cut out much of the things we consume.

While aimed at our media consumption, these guidelines also could apply to other things that affect our thinking, including time with certain friends and also leisure activities. The goal is to guard our thoughts so everything we think nourishes our soul and benefits our neighbor.

With God’s help, we can transform our thinking and enrich our lives.


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Taylor Sandlin is pastor of Southland Baptist Church in San Angelo, Texas.


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