Tuesday, October 11, 2011

31 Days :: Day 11 ~ You mean I have to think for myself?

If you've been following along in our series, you may have been wondering when I was going to get to Philippians 4:8.

And the answer is . . . today!

Philippians 4:8 ~ 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. (ESV)

We will be spending some time on each part of the list in the days ahead, but today I want to talk about one word.

Think.

Because if you're serious about renewing your mind, you're going to have to think.

That may sound painfully obvious, but the sad fact is that many Christians don't want to think. They want someone else to do all the thinking for them and then tell them what to think. And that's just not going to cut it.

I did a little digging and discovered that the word translated "think" in this verse comes from the Greek word "logizomai" and when I saw that . . . well, my heart did a little leap.

What do you see when you read that word? I see a word that has to have something to do with logic. And I have to tell you, I'm not that much into random, so this word makes me happy!

Sure enough, "logizomai" implies careful reasoning and studying which leads to drawing a conclusion.

It's not describing a fleeting thought. It's the way you would apply reason to an algebra problem. Or to bring it down to real life, it's the way you consider your child's symptoms to determine whether or not they need to take a trip to the doctor. You think about it, add them up, consider the ramifications, and draw a conclusion.

But there's a little bit more.

The verb tense and voice imply a continuous action that you undertake. No one is going to do this for you or to you. You must choose to continually dwell on what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and commendable.

The implication is that as you think on these things you will draw conclusions that will cause you to be changed for the better.

As you think on these things, you will be continuously renewing your mind.

Don't you just love it when a plan comes together :-).

Tomorrow, we'll be talking about what is true. Join us!

1 comments:

Cynthia Howerter said...

I've had several too-full days in a row and was in great need of something soothing. How grateful I am to have opened your article. It's one of my favorite scriptures. You've managed to make me pick it up, roll it around, take a fresh look, savor it and let its meaning wash over me. Bless you, Lynn! I can't wait to read your next article.