Thinking with God’s Guardians
Thinking with God’s Guardians by Pastor Tim
“What were you thinking?” Ever been skewered by that question? It is, of course, especially convicting because often when someone asks that of you the answer is, “I wasn’t.” Or at least I was thinking incorrectly or in a way that led to an action that now needs an explanation. Psychologists call it a “mindset.” It’s amazing the difference a mindset makes in one’s life. It can be that which liberates or mindlessly enslaves. Here’s a light-hearted way to look at it.
EXCERPTS FROM A DOG’S DIARY
8:00AM - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30AM - A car ride! My favorite thing!
12:00PM - Lunch meat! My favorite thing!
3:00 PM - Walk in park! My favorite thing!
5:00PM - Ears rubbed! My favorite thing!
6:15PM - Milk bones! My favorite thing!
8:00 PM - Watched The Bachelor with owner! My favorite thing!
9:30PM - Dog food! My favorite thing!
11:00PM - Sleeping on bed! My favorite thing!
EXCERPTS FROM A CAT’S DIARY
Day 984 of my captivity. My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre, little dangling little objects. The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. I may purr but I am independent. I will be free!
Does God give us help in his Word and by his Spirit for capturing the right mindset? Yes, he does. Notice first of all how God celebrates right thinking in his Word. You just cannot blow off how important it is to think rightly if you want to be a difference maker for Christ. Paul encourages a young Timothy in this way: “Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this” (2 Timothy 2:7). So thinking is precious as a prelude to divine illumination. As one mulls over the Word of God the Spirit begins to form right thinking in the head from which Christian character might flow. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Romans 12:2).
In fact, godly thinking is a mark of maturity in the Christian faith. “Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults” (1 Corinthians 14:20). I have much to learn in this area as often my answer to the question “What were you thinking?” is “I wasn’t.” Or “What I was thinking was tawdry or self-centered!” Even more frequently I have an American mindset of mere entertainment which reflects a depth similar to the mindset Yogi Berra credited for his insight as an adult when he quipped, “Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always been a real deep thinker and stuff.”
Graciously, God gives us what might be called “gatekeepers” to guide our thoughts and give us a Christ-like mindset. Paul names eight “gatekeepers” that a wise person has stand in the gateway of their thinking in Philippians 4:8. I challenge you to put this mindset forming passage to memory. Live by it. Set the citadel of these “gatekeepers” frequently in the forefront of your mindfulness throughout the day. Here they are with a brief breakdown of six of the guardians below. “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” (Philippians 4:8).
TRUE (God’s Gatekeeper) - First, as our mind is fed information, we should ask ourselves, “Is it true?” God’s own truth is to be our measure. Most of all live in this truth, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect” (1 Corinthians 15:10). Never surrender this certainty in your mind. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus …” (Romans 8:1).
HONORABLE (God’s Gatekeeper) - Then ask, “Is it honorable?” does that which I have just heard have a noble ring to it? Is the action I am asked to take respectable in Christ’s sight? “The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them” (Psalm 25:14).
RIGHT (God’s Gatekeeper) - Is it just and fair this what I am thinking? One can search the Gospels and see if Jesus addressed the issue. In the end he defines what is right and what is wrong. “Feelings come and feelings go. And feelings are deceiving. My warrant is the word of God. Not else is worth believing” (Martin Luther).
PURE (God’s Gatekeeper) - When one considers what they watch on Netflix we want to inquire, “Is this holy and lovely - pure?” Will this Facebook posting I am feeding into my mind result in godly love and beautiful actions? Among those artificial ingredients in Twinkies is cellulose gum, which gives Twinkie cream its amazing smooth feel. Another place you can find this cellulose gum is in rocket fuel. Is there any doubt Twinkies are pure rocket fuel!? Eat more for a purity mindset (or not).
ADMIRABLE (God’s Gatekeeper) - What’s more we need to ask, “Is it admirable?” Literally, “Is what I’m thinking about of good repute or well reputed?” Does it sound attractive? Is it kind and is the reputation of others protected by what I am thinking should I say it? “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ” (Ephesians 4:15). The goal in life is to put jewels in the crown of King Jesus. Admirable thinking helps beautify him.
EXCELLENT (God’s Gatekeeper) - Finally, we want to consider, am I thinking what is “excellent and worthy of praise?” Here again if you are like me I often reflect a thought life that does not include an excellence that honors God and inspires others. Reach for a star. Refuse mediocrity. You can’t go any higher than the goal the writer of Hebrews puts before us. “Fix your eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 - Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:2, 3).
In his classic film The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly Clint Eastwood says to a villain with a heart as dark as midnight under a skillet, “There are two kinds of people in life, those with loaded guns and those who dig.” Since Eastwood has a loaded gun he says to the villain, “You dig.” A friend of mine, whose nationality you will soon be able to guess, says, “There are two kinds of people in life. Those who are Irish and those who wish they were.”
So in keeping with this theme, “There are two kinds of Christians in life. Those who muster a Christian mindset with God’s guardians and those who wish they had.” The first kind wield a loaded gun against Satan and his forces all their days. They do less digging. Be among them. Think, my friend, think with God’s guardians!
