What we think about matters. Our enemy knows this, and uses it against us. 

 

More than we may realize, our thoughts influence our attitudes, our decisions, our relationships, our words, and ultimately our behavior and the direction of our lives. Before an action becomes visible, it often begins as a thought. Before a habit is formed, there is usually a pattern of thinking behind it. Before our behavior changes, our minds must often be changed first.

 

This is why Scripture places such a strong emphasis on the mind.

 

Paul’s words in Philippians 4:8 are not simply a suggestion about having positive thoughts. They are an invitation to intentionally direct our minds toward the things that reflect the character and goodness of God.

 

• 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.

 

These words provide a blueprint for a different way of thinking in a

 world that constantly competes for our attention.

 

 

A Battle for the Mind

 

We live in a world that never stops talking to us.

 

From the moment we wake up, information begins coming at us. News, social media, advertisements, entertainment, conversations, opinions, videos, music, notifications, and countless other messages compete for space in our minds.

 

Much of what we encounter is not necessarily sinful. But not everything is beneficial.

 

The world constantly tells us what to desire, what to fear, what to value, what to admire, what to believe, and what should make us happy.

 

If we aren’t intentional about what we allow into our minds, we can slowly begin to think like the world without even realizing it.

 

Romans 12:2 gives us this warning:

 

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.”

(Romans 12:2)

 

Paul presents us with two very different possibilities.

 

We can be conformed to the world, or we can be transformed by the renewing of our minds.

 

Conformity happens when we allow the world around us to shape us.

 

Transformation happens when God changes us from the inside out.

 

We don’t have to intentionally choose conformity for it to happen. If

we aren’t intentionally allowing God to shape our thinking, something else eventually will.

 

The question isn’t whether our minds are being influenced.

 

They are.

 

The question is: Who is influencing them?

 

 

The Renewal of Our Minds

 

Romans 12:1–2 begins with an important foundation:

 

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

(Romans 12:1)

 

Paul connects the renewal of our minds with surrendering our lives to God.

 

Christian transformation isn’t simply about trying harder to behave better.

 

It begins with surrender.

 

• We present ourselves to God.

• We give Him our plans.

• Our desires.

• Our relationships.

• Our habits.

• Our time.

• Our bodies.

• Our minds.

• Everything.

 

The Christian life is not about giving God one part of ourselves while keeping another part under our own control.

 

We are called to offer ourselves completely to Him.

And as we surrender ourselves to God, He begins transforming the way we think.

 

This is important because our behavior is often a reflection of our thinking.

 

If we continually think that we are alone, our lives may become controlled by fear.

 

If we continually think that we aren’t enough, our lives may become controlled by insecurity.

 

If we continually think about what others have, our lives may become controlled by comparison.

 

If we continually think about offenses, our lives may become controlled by bitterness.

 

If we continually think about the things of this world, our hearts can become increasingly attached to them.

 

But when God’s truth begins to fill our minds, something changes.

 

• We begin to see ourselves differently.

• We begin to see others differently.

• We begin to see our circumstances differently.

• We begin to see eternity differently.

 

A renewed mind produces a transformed life.

 

 

What Are You Thinking About?

 

One of the most important questions we can ask ourselves is:

What occupies my mind?

 

• What do you think about when you have nothing else demanding your attention?

• What do you think about when you are lying in bed at night?

• What do you think about when you are driving?

• What do you think about when you are alone?

• What do you think about when you are discouraged?

• What do you think about when something goes wrong?

 

Our answers can reveal what has captured our hearts. Jesus said:

 

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

(Matthew 6:21)

 

Our thoughts and our treasures are often connected.

 

• What we value, we think about.

• What we love, we think about.

• What we fear, we think about.

• What we worship, we think about.

 

This is why Philippians 4:8 is so important.

 

Paul doesn’t simply tell us to stop thinking about bad things.

 

He tells us what to think about instead.

 

That distinction matters.

 

You cannot simply tell your mind, “Don’t think about that.”

 

Instead, you need somewhere else to direct your attention.

 

If your mind is filled with fear, fill it with God’s promises.

 

If your mind is filled with anger, think about forgiveness.

 

If your mind is filled with impurity, think about what is pure.

 

If your mind is filled with discouragement, think about what is lovely and worthy of praise.

 

If your mind is filled with the chaos of the world, turn your attention toward the character of God.

 

Philippians 4:8 gives us somewhere better to put our minds.

 

 

The Things of God or the Things of the World?

 

There are two competing kingdoms constantly calling for our attention.

 

The world says: Look here.

 

God says: Look to Me.

 

The world tells us that happiness is found in possessions. God tells us that our treasure is found in Him.

 

The world tells us that our worth comes from accomplishments. God tells us that our identity is found in Christ.

 

The world tells us to seek approval. God calls us to seek His kingdom.

 

The world tells us to worry about tomorrow. Jesus tells us:

 

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.”

(Matthew 6:34)

 

The world constantly directs our eyes toward temporary things.

 

God continually calls us to look toward eternal things.

 

Paul wrote:

 

“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on

earth.”

(Colossians 3:2)

 

This doesn’t mean that Christians should ignore the responsibilities of everyday life.

 

• We still work.

• We raise families.

• We pay bills.

• We care for our communities.

• We make plans.

• We experience joy and sorrow.

• We live in the real world.

 

But we don’t have to allow the world to become the center of our thinking.

 

We can live in this world without allowing the world’s values to control us. (Jesus said we are in the world, but not of the world). 

 

We can use possessions without allowing possessions to possess us.

 

We can enjoy success without making success our identity.

 

We can use technology without allowing technology to control our attention.

 

We can know what is happening in the world without allowing the world’s chaos to consume our minds.

 

We are called to live in the world without becoming conformed to it.

​

 

Changing What We Think About

 

Renewing our minds is not a one-time event.

 

It is a daily process.

 

Every day we have choices about what we allow to influence our thinking.

 

• We choose what we watch.

• We choose what we listen to.

• We choose what conversations we participate in.

• We choose what voices we give authority to.

• We choose what we dwell on.

• We choose what we repeatedly expose ourselves to.

 

And while we cannot control every thought that enters our minds, we can learn to bring our thoughts under the authority of Christ.

 

Paul writes:

 

“We take every thought captive to obey Christ.”

(2 Corinthians 10:5)

 

That is a powerful picture.

 

Our minds don’t have to be controlled by every thought that enters them.

 

• We can examine our thoughts.

• We can ask whether they are true.

• We can ask whether they honor God.

• We can ask whether they are pure.

• We can ask whether they are helpful.

• We can ask whether they agree with God’s Word.

 

And when a thought doesn’t belong, we can refuse to dwell on it.

 

Then we can replace it with something that does.

 

This is one of the practical purposes of Philippians 4:8.

 

It teaches us where to redirect our attention.

 

 

What We Put in Matters

 

Imagine your mind as a garden.

 

Whatever you continually plant will eventually grow.

 

• If you plant fear, fear can grow.

• If you plant bitterness, bitterness can grow.

• If you plant jealousy, jealousy can grow.

• If you plant lust, lust can grow.

• If you plant comparison, discontentment can grow.

 

• But if you plant God’s Word, truth can grow.

• If you plant gratitude, thankfulness can grow.

• If you plant forgiveness, freedom can grow.

• If you plant worship, joy can grow.

• If you plant God’s promises, faith can grow.

 

The principle is simple: What we consistently put into our minds matters. Jesus said:

 

“For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”

(Matthew 12:34)

 

What fills the heart eventually comes out.

 

• Our words reveal our thoughts.

• Our actions reveal our beliefs.

• Our priorities reveal what we value.

• Our lives reveal what has captured our hearts.

 

This is why renewing our minds is so important.

 

God doesn’t merely want to modify our behavior.

 

He wants to transform us.

 

 

The Power of God’s Word

 

One of the primary ways God renews our minds is through His Word.

 

Scripture gives us truth in a world filled with competing voices.

 

• The Bible tells us who God is.

• It tells us who we are.

• It tells us where we came from.

• It tells us what went wrong.

• It tells us what God has done about sin.

• It tells us about Jesus.

• It tells us about salvation.

• It tells us how to live.

• And it tells us where history is ultimately going.

 

When we read Scripture, we allow God’s truth to challenge the lies we have believed.

 

Maybe the world says you are worthless.

 

Scripture reminds you that you are created by God and that Christ gave Himself for you.

 

Maybe the world says you must earn your value.

 

Scripture reminds you that salvation is a gift of grace.

 

Maybe the world says you are alone.

 

Scripture reminds you that God is with His people.

Maybe the world says your circumstances determine your future.

 

Scripture reminds you that God is sovereign.

 

Maybe the world says death is the end.

 

Scripture gives us the hope of resurrection and eternal life.

 

God’s Word renews our minds because it gives us a different way of seeing reality.

 

 

Think About These Things

 

This book is an invitation.

 

• It is an invitation to slow down and examine what has been occupying your mind.

• It is an invitation to turn down the volume of the world and turn up the voice of God.

• It is an invitation to stop allowing every headline, opinion, offense, fear, temptation, and distraction to determine the direction of your thoughts.

• It is an invitation to think differently.

 

Over the next eight chapters, we will walk through Paul’s instruction in Philippians 4:8.

 

We will consider:

 

Whatever is true.

 

What is true about God? What is true about His Word? What is true about Jesus? What is true about salvation?

 

Whatever is honorable.

 

What deserves our respect and attention? What does it mean to honor

God, His Word, other people, and the life He has given us?

 

Whatever is just.

 

What is righteousness? How do we understand God’s justice? How should we treat others when the world around us seems unfair?

 

Whatever is pure.

 

How do we protect our minds and hearts in a world filled with impurity? What does it mean to pursue holiness?

 

Whatever is lovely.

 

Where can we find beauty? How can we learn to see God’s goodness in creation, relationships, and even difficult seasons?

 

Whatever is commendable.

 

What kind of character, words, actions, and testimony are worthy of respect and imitation?

 

If there is any excellence.

 

What does it mean to pursue excellence for God’s glory rather than for our own recognition?

 

If there is anything worthy of praise.

 

What deserves our praise? How can we praise God, encourage our children and others, and worship God even in difficult circumstances?

 

These aren’t simply eight topics.

 

They are eight invitations to change the direction of our thinking.

​

 

A Different Way to Live

 

Imagine what could happen if we intentionally practiced Philippians 4:8.

 

• Imagine waking up and choosing to think about God’s faithfulness rather than your fears.

• Imagine responding to criticism by thinking about what is honorable rather than immediately becoming defensive.

• Imagine facing an unfair situation while remembering that God is just.

• Imagine being surrounded by temptation and intentionally directing your thoughts toward what is pure.

• Imagine noticing the beauty of an ordinary day and thanking God for it.

• Imagine looking for something commendable in your spouse, your children, your friends, or your coworkers instead of focusing only on their faults.

• Imagine pursuing excellence in your work because you are ultimately working for the Lord.

• Imagine becoming a person who looks for reasons to praise instead of reasons to complain.

 

That is the kind of transformation that can happen when our minds are renewed.

 

It begins with what we think about.

 

 

A Renewed Mind, A Transformed Life

 

Romans 12:2 continues:

 

“By testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

(Romans 12:2)

 

A renewed mind gives us greater ability to recognize God’s will.

• The more we understand God’s truth, the more clearly we can recognize what is good.

• The more we know His character, the more we understand what pleases Him.

• The more we think about the things of God, the more our lives begin to reflect the things of God.

 

This is not about becoming religious people who simply know more Bible verses.

 

It is about becoming people who have been transformed by God.

 

The goal is not merely to think differently.

 

The goal is to live differently because we think differently.

 

• God wants our minds.

• He wants our hearts.

• He wants our lives.

• And He wants to transform all three.

 

So, as you begin this journey through Philippians 4:8, don’t simply read these chapters.

 

• Pray through them.

• Think about them.

• Ask God to reveal what has been occupying your mind.

• Ask Him to show you where the world has influenced your thinking.

• Ask Him to replace lies with truth.

• Ask Him to replace fear with faith.

• Ask Him to replace bitterness with forgiveness.

• Ask Him to replace impurity with holiness.

• Ask Him to replace discontentment with gratitude.

• Ask Him to replace worldly thinking with a mind focused on Christ.

 

The invitation is simple. Think about these things.

Not because ignoring the problems of the world will make them disappear.

 

Not because Christians are supposed to pretend that everything is fine.

 

But because there is something greater than the problems around us.

 

• There is a God who is faithful.

• There is a Savior who has redeemed us.

• There is a Word that is true.

• There is a Spirit who transforms us.

• There is a kingdom that is coming.

• There is a hope that cannot be destroyed.

• And there is a better way to think.

 

So, ask yourself one question: What has been occupying my mind—and is it worthy of the space I’m giving it?

 

Then listen to Paul’s invitation.

 

• Slow down.

• Pay attention.

• Redirect your thoughts.

• Look toward God.

 

And… “Think about these things.”

 

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.”

(Romans 12:2)

 

May our Lord Jesus Christ be praised and honored and glorified by all that we say, all that we think, and all that we do.