How Joyful People ThinkSample

A Promise

At first glance, Philippians 4:8 almost seems an afterthought, like some well-chosen parting words. However, if we allow ourselves to park in front of it, we soon realize that if any verse in the Bible is loaded with perspective-shaping truth, this is it. Though the Bible has many passages that reveal the kind of thinking God wants his people to embrace, this passage stands alone in its concentrated emphasis on God’s way of thinking. It is jam-packed with profundity and richness.

This verse comprises about three dozen well-chosen words, one of which is repeated six times. It asks us to consider no less than eight ways of thinking befitting people who desire to find their sufficiency and satisfaction in God. It’s for people who want to learn to think differently—who don’t want to settle for the status quo of current culture. These are God’s attitudes for his people, and they are his way of allowing us to have regular counterfactual experiences as we make our way through all the ups and downs of life in this fallen world. 

Read Philippians 4:8-9 again, out loud. In fact, these words come with a promise. The very next verse says, “And the God of peace will be with you” (verse 9). God’s way of giving us peace—real peace—is through our having the right kind of perspective. A perspective that allows us to trust him. A perspective that makes us want to follow him. Don’t miss this: the perspective that God offers is also a perspective that helps us think as he wants us to think. The promise is that if you and I can learn to live life in light of these eight ways of thinking, “the God of peace” will share some of that peace with us. 

Philippians 4:8 leads us to envision much more within our thinking and to explore endless God-enabled possibilities. It offers us the opportunity to ponder all the implications and applications imaginable as we learn to think with God’s perspective in mind. We can approach each moment of each day with a passion born of thousands of potentialities as we learn to think with truth, honor, purity, love, and excellence leading the way in our minds and hearts. 

What does it mean for the “God of peace” to be with you today?