And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honourable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Phil 4:8 [NLT]
- “Ian, why when you went to all the trouble in the previous Gem to set the boundaries of the next unit, are you now just giving us one verse?”
- “Aren’t we working on the next segment – The Secret of Contentment (Phil 4:8-13)?”
Yes, we are. But I couldn’t resist highlighting this verse as Paul has done. Did you notice the subtle way in which Paul highlights this verse. It would have been more natural perhaps for him to have included this verse in the previous block. Philippians 1-8. (Leaving aside the issue of where Verse 1 belongs.) Given Paul’s section markers being particles added to the Dear Friends references appearing at each break, he appears to be breaking the section at Verse 8 and not including it with the section before. We could argue it more correctly belongs with the block before it. Ah but wait. Rather than include it with Phil 4:1-7 or 4:2-7, Paul slips it into the next section and uses the thoughts of Phil 4:8 to start the next section. I hope you will see the wisdom of this over the next few Gems. In the meantime, let’s focus on Philippians 4:8.
- Finally brothers,
- Now one final thing, dear brothers and sisters,
- Summing it all up, friends
Think on the things that are:
- True
- Honourable
- Right
- Pure
- Lovely
- Admirable
- Excellent
- Praiseworthy
Don’t miss what it going on here! You have to make the connection between:
- Have this mind that was also in Christ Jesus. . .
- Think on these things . . .
Don’t worry! I am not about to give you a long run down on the Greek of each of the words in the list. That was not Paul’s intention. You can read this list in the different Bible versions and you will end up with a good idea of the meaning of the words being used here.
This reminds me of Gem 394 – Being Self Aware. It is time again for a little self-examination. What kind of person are you? Are you a naturally positive person or do you think more negatively in any given situation? Do you generally see things in a positive light? Or do you tend to see things negatively? As the title of this Gem suggests, do you see the glass as being half full or half empty? I wonder in these Covid times where you are placed? Think about it for a moment. Look around you and consider those you come into contact with most often. Oh I know at the moment you may be starved for true contact with other humans. “Ian, all my contacts at the moment are via the computer screen or the TV screen. I hardly talk with anyone face to face anymore. That’s the problem!” I am not sure it is. We are our own worst enemies. Often our perspective flows out of our own heart or thoughts. We can be naturally positive or naturally negative. Or we can allow those around to influence us by their bad attitude. Allow me to explain with some Ian stories. The people in these stories shall remain nameless.
There is a couple we know who are dear friends, much like Paul’s dear friends, who are ALWAYS positive. Even if they have something negative to say, they will find a way to balance what they have said in a positive light as well. If we are in a group conversation with them and some situation or person’s name comes up and the tone of the conversation turns negative or critical, either he or she will turn the situation back to the positive. When someone in the group makes a comment about someone not included in the group talking at that moment but mentioned negatively, they will invariably say something like:
“That may be, but she is always thinking of others rather than herself.”
“Yes, that could be true, but he does a lot of work behind the scenes with the needy people in town. No one sees that.”
“Oh hang on a moment, I have never ever heard her criticise someone behind their back.”
Most often when either one of this couple makes a point like one of the above, it will steer the conversation back to the positive. After a negative comment about someone else has been made, with an insertion of the likes of the above comments, the tone of conversation has been brought back to upbuilding and not denigration.
This doesn’t just happen with individuals, we also have cultural traits which can evidence negativity. New Zealanders and Australians can be known as a bunch of knockers. I am aware of this trait in me and my countrymen and women. I am more aware of being a knocker when I am with those from the other country. Between Aussies and Kiwis there can be some knocking comments made in fun. We have had a lot to do with those from the West Island and encountered such knocking and have given it back. I have a good friend (a mate even) who was a leader in Wycliffe Australia, a colleague of mine from across the ditch, who when we got together would poke fun at me for being a kiwi.
Don’t misunderstand, I can give as good as I got. I am a Kiwi with Aussie friends. Over a period of time when we were both leaders in Wycliffe, when we met the knocking would begin. Oh good natured of course and the repartee was meant in fun, but it would often surprise other Wycliffe leaders, especially those from America. My Aussie mate would often open the conversation with something like, “Oh here’s my little kiwi mate, Ian”. Then he would come out with a response that would put me or New Zealand down, like “How’s the New Zealand Cricket Team doing? Still crying?” To which I would respond in kind. It was almost expected between us and others would laugh. It’s how Aussies and Kiwis behave.
One day my Aussie mate said in the midst of a group of leaders from various places, “Here’s my little Kiwi mate Ian, How are you guys doing in the Australian colony of New Zulund?”
I responded with something nice.
He looked at me like, ‘What! You’re supposed to insult me.’ He had a look on face which said, You’re not playing by the rules.
Then he made another barbed comment waiting for my repartee back at him.
I paused a moment and he said “What no response. You can’t think of a suitable retort?”
To which I said, “No X, I have realised you are more balanced than I am.”
He stood there non-plussed by what I had just said. The look on his face said, You’re not playing the game. Stop that. You have to make a knocking comment back. It’s what we do; you’re making me look bad.”
Then I said, “You have a chip on both shoulders.”
He stood there silent. Everyone around started laughing because some knew the banter which took place between Aussies and Kiwis and they knew this man always had a response. That day no response came back.
Ian 1 : Opposition 0.
How are you reacting to this?
- Perhaps as a Kiwi, you are laughing. Yes another Kiwi victory over the Aussies.
- Perhaps it brought back memories for you. Some pleasant; some not so pleasant. Memories of when you have been put down.
- Memories perhaps of when you were ashamed because you took knocking too far, even though it was the cultural norm. I have.
- You were not to blame. You were just doing what Kiwis do with Aussies.
- You’re not to blame, you’re just doing what you do among mates.
Tania and I were once on a weekend away with good church friends and the tone was frankly constant knocking. This went into the second day of our time together and I knew I had to speak up. We were all part of the cultural knocking process, they call it the tall poppy syndrome. But I had had enough and I sensed it was time to stop. So I called everyone on it, including myself. It was received well and the knocking ceased. But isn’t that what we should do as those who are encouraged to have the mind of Christ? Isn’t that the point of what Paul is meaning here with his comment?
Think (and speak) the things that are true, honourable, right, pure, lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Develop a personal habit of building the people around you up rather than knocking them down. Especially if you happen to be a Kiwi or an Aussie, dare to swim upstream against the cultural flow. Without thinking we can take on the nature of the world around us. As Paul said in another of his letters.
Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God—what is good and is pleasing to him and is perfect.
Romans 12:2
I have commented before (Gem 1907) that this letter to the Philippians is Paul’s warmest letter to all the groups to whom he wrote. There is no rebuke of them, the letter is warm and personal, encouraging and up-building. But think about it from a different point of view. I am sure you know the verse which just came to my mind.
“Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”
John 1:46
Do you know why that view prevailed at the time? it was a garrison town, where the Roman army was stationed. Can anything good come from a garrison town?
- Can anything good come Nazareth?
- Can anything good come Corinth?
- Can anything good come Philippi?
- Can anything good come from Covid?
I have told you that Philippi was also a garrison town, a place where Roman troops were stationed and had all the associated problem and was likely looked down on because of it. But that didn’t influence Paul’s attitude toward the Philippians. Somehow we can allow ourselves to be duped by our circumstances, the attitudes of those around us or our cultural perspective to cause us to think in a certain way. God makes it clear in the Bible that we need to take back control of the way we think. We need the attitude correction which Ray Stevens talks about in the song I mentioned in Gem 394 above.
Good stuff Ian…. even naturally positive people who see glass half full at times find life tough going too! (And might indulge in some knocking behaviour)!
Yes indeed Lloyd. The interesting thing is that our culture predisposes us toward knocking because it is “the done thing” or an acceptable form of humour.
Goodness I liked it. Sometime I’d like to find out what the reaction was from your mate to being told that he had a chip on both shoulders.
Kev
He was non-plussed. He is a guy who always has a smart aleck word to say as a retort in situations like that. His wife, who is a Kiwi, just laughed and laughed to see her husband without a word to say. I think two things happened. One was that I caught him by surprise when I responded positively at the beginning. I mean Kiwis and Aussies are not supposed to do that.
“Ian, what kind of game are you playing here; you’re making me look bad.”
Then for the tone of a seemingly “nice” conversation to switch on him like that, caught him totally by surprise. All the leaders who were present know what he is like and expected the normal banter from him, but there was none forthcoming and they too burst out laughing. He had been caught in a trap.
New Zealand 1 ; Australia 0
That was meant to read Goodone
Sometimes when we are constantly being bombarded with negativities (news, etc), we think of being “negative” as the norm. Good reminder!
Yes so true Merry. Sometimes we can get in a rut of critical and negative thinking. We need to take seriously Paul’s (Christ’s) challenge to think on the good and lovely things, yay even look actively for the positive things to say to and about people.