Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:8-9

---

Have you ever known anyone you would describe as a wolf in sheep’s clothing? Do you remember how they made you feel? What they said or did to you to help you realize their character doesn’t match who you thought they were?

As I reflect on today’s passage, I wonder what it would look like if the wolf had filtered their thoughts and actions through Paul’s guidance. What would it look like if they asked themselves, are my actions or thoughts noble? Are they true? Am I doing the right things for the right reasons? Is this pure? Is this admirable?

Now I bring in the mirror. I start to ponder what percentage of my thoughts follow the Apostle Paul’s guidance to keep thoughts positive and filled with praise. On average, I would say I am nowhere near perfect and realistically, I may be closer to 50 percent. On good days, every little thing feels like magic. These are the days I woke up on the right side of the bed and I am upbeat finding joy in every moment. Even when I am cut off by another driver and almost get into an accident! Those days I think, thank goodness I was able to stop in time—they must be in a big hurry. I hope they get where they’re going safely! And then the other days, when I wake up on the wrong side of the bed, even my happiest thoughts come with a side of dread. Those days, if a driver cuts me off, I will probably have, let’s just say, a not so godly  reaction. 

Most days, though, I’m in the middle, and when I catch myself in a negative thought pattern, I do my best to change it to the positive. Sometimes it’s easy, and sometimes, I can’t even believe the thoughts that echo through my mind. When did I become so judgy? Unkind? Where do these negative thoughts come from? Can you relate?

The Apostle Paul gives us a roadmap to living with peace and integrity, and to overcome the struggles in life we experience every day. And it’s quite simple, really. Think higher. Find the excellent and praiseworthy thing in EVERY circumstance and give God the glory for it. Pray with admiration, praise and gratitude for all things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Next Steps

As you pray continuously throughout your day, ask yourself, is this thought noble? Is it true? Is it right? Is it pure? Is it lovely? Is it admirable? Ask yourself, what are the areas in your life where you need more peace? Find something in your situation where you can praise God and give him the glory.