Think on these things

Martin’s Morning Thoughts

August 9, 2014

Greater Mental Health

⁸ For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them]. Philippians 4:8,9)

You are what you think! Your thoughts dominate your choices and the outcomes of those choices. Think about this for a moment. What you are presently, you have been becoming all along. Modify your thoughts to fit into Paul’s practical and spiritual format, and you will see a change that benefits you. Let us briefly look into those areas of verse eight.

• Whatever is true. God’s truth and all which flows from it. There is no pretense in God’s truth, no hypocrisy, and no failures.
• Honorable things. Those things which are carnally-based, frivolous, and offer no lasting value to the person ought to be avoided. There is no honor in them. We mus think on things that add value to the soul.
• Just things. We must do to others what we would have them do to us. We must be fair in all of our dealings. We must hate cheating, defrauding, and taking advantage of all men, just and unjust. Our dealings must be approved of God.
• Pure things. Clean thoughts should dominate our minds. Thoughts of covetousness and lust must be avoided like the plague. Deceitful thinking is impure. Defiled thinking is a destroyer of pure thoughts. Pure thoughts are the mothers of pure actions.
• Lovely thoughts. Winsome thinking is the kind that finds honor among good men. Thoughts which have a tendency to be peaceful and directed toward the good of mankind are lovable thoughts on a spiritual level.
• Virtuous thinking. To stand for what is right in the presence of what is wrong, to help the poor when all seem to abandon him, and to show forth spiritual excellence in an environment in which such excellence is a mere flicker of light is virtuous thinking.
• Praiseworthy thoughts. Would God praise your deeds? Would men praise your deeds? Would your family praise you? Are your thoughts the kind that gender praise or contempt? Hate contemptuous thoughts and love thoughts worthy of praise.
• Change your thinking and you will change your life!

Is the journey becoming too difficult

You possess your souls

Confidence in the Lord

The Goodness of God

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ²⁶ to make her holy, cleansing^[b] her by the washing with water through the word, ²⁷ and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. ²⁸ In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— ³⁰ for we are members of his body.  Ephesians 5:25-30, NIV.

Paul presents a penetrating reality of how a husband’s love toward his wife should be at the spiritual level. Those of you who are married, do you love your wife in this manner? Are you striving to do so? Have you been taught to do so? Inasmuch as marriage is a representation of Christ and the church, the devil seeks to destroy it. He will use any means to do it. He has no desire to see a successful marriage! He would have the husband be a “lord in the marriage” without love–demanding respect from the wife without giving it. Unfortunately, in some marriages, the husband is  mere tool of Satan being used at the devil’s will. The sad thing about this is–the husband is unaware of it. Don’t expect the world to give you spiritual advice on marriage. The counsel of the ungodly is cursed. (Psalms 1:1). It is better to have not married than to marry not knowing how to love or unwilling to do so.

As a husband, God expects us to meet his standards. After all, we have entered into this relationship wanting to be a husband. Isn’t that right? Right? In some corners, there is a “loud” silence! Listen, men, we must stand before the judgment seat of Christ and give an account as to our “marriage” stewardship! This being so, we must endeavor to love our wives as Christ loves the church. We are going to have to pray hard and work hard at being “godly” husbands. I know that there is another side to this–the wive’s side (I will deal with that part in my next writing, God willing),but God will judge us for our side. If you want your marriage to last where love is a powerful factor, seek out those whose marriages express this. Will meeting God’s standards be easy? No! Are they impossible? No! Even viewed from the golden rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” we see possibilities from which to operate from as husbands. Your wife is the closest person to you! She is a part of you! She is your help-meet! She is your complement! She is your conscience! She is your comfort during the storms of life! She is the one who has seen you during all the seasons of your life, and still loves you! Husbands love your wives, and in so doing you wil love yourselves!

Thoughts for the Day

The Divine Rejection of Human Arrogance

My sacrifice [the sacrifice acceptable] to God is a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart [broken down with sorrow for sin and humbly and thoroughly penitent], such, O God, You will not despise. (Psalm 51:17, Amplified Version, AMP).

We must always be mindful of the critical importance of humility when we find ourselves guilty of having committed sin. David had sinned against God and Uriah the Hittite. He had sex with Uriah’s wife and then had him sent into a military position that resulted in his death. David’s sin was one that was worthy of death. When God’s prophet Nathan came to David to tell him of his transgression, David realized the magnitude of his transgression. His attitude was  not high-minded or arrogant. Though he were a king, he knew that God could demand justice and take his life. David had not put on the cloak of the sorrow of the world, regretting that he had been caught. He had put on the garment of a contrite and broken spirit seeking God’s mercy and pardon. He mourned for the sin he committed.

God despises human arrogance and worldly pride. He distances himself from those whose lives are sin-filled and who refuse to change their ways. On these sinners, there will be no mercy. These transgressors will get the full harvest of the seeds they have sown, and their barns will be full to overflowing! They despise God’s goodness and mercy. Eternal damnation awaits with open arms to embrace those whose ways are contrary to God. This all could have been avoided had humility reigned in heir minds. Eternal damnation would have distanced itself had humility and godly sorrow pulled the sinner to that safer ground where God’s mercy knows no limit, and his forgiveness and favor are sure generous.

Christian Armor

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