Audit our thoughts (Part 1)
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. Philippians 4:8
Our mind is a powerful and magnificent device that God has given us. An average person has 100 billion neurons, and each neuron can create 250,000 connections, so the human brain can form 250 000 trillion connections. We refer to these connections as neural pathways, which are also known as our “thought pattern ”. Our minds are so powerful, so the enemy hijacks them to create more negative "neural pathways" to paralyze us or prevent us from using our full potential.
The key verse today gives us practical guidelines for forming a godly thought pattern. The eight great virtues in Philippians 4:8 are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, good report, virtue, and praiseworthy. "Truth" is the pillar of godly thought life, so when a thought creeps into our minds, we should ask "Is it aligned with God's truth?". Having our minds firmly grounded in truth allows us to develop all other qualities that are positive, encouraging, and uplifting.
It’s also important to reprogram our thinking patterns with “logizomai”, which is Greek for meditate in the key verse. It actually means "number, reckon, record, calculate, decide, reason" which sounds like accounting and auditing terms that require logic. In the past, I used to avoid doing accounting because I found it tedious and considered myself a right-brained person who is more intuitive and creative. Accounting work, however, can train my mind to be focused, intentional, and disciplined by training my mind to be ".
In particular, I must practice a great deal of concentration when entering the entries so as to ensure the total amount is consistent. What does this practice have to do with programming thought patterns? First of all, all disciplines require one thing: focus. If we don't focus on Godly thoughts, we are easily distracted by the world and sinful thoughts. It is impossible to eliminate all negative thoughts in our minds. However, by God's grace, we can greatly reduce the number of negative thought patterns and constantly renew our minds.
The first step in "auditing" our thoughts is to focus on them; in part 2, we will look at how "logizomai" can allow us to count God's blessings and create a deep level of thought that will lead to true peace.
Blessing prayer: Let our minds and meditation be pleasing to you. May we keep our minds fixed on you and not be distracted by the world. In Jesus' name, Amen
