This morning,
something stood out to me in one of those why-didn’t-I-see-that-already kind of
ways. I was praying about the bad news filling cyberspace, and found my mind tempted
by news stories to focus on how terrible the world is getting. Suddenly, I realized
another measure of significance to God’s directive, “think about these things.”[1]
With the ease
by which we receive news of the ugliness perpetrated against humanity in
general, and God’s children in particular, arriving from all around the world
in varying degrees of interest and concern, it is easy to become caught up in debating
every wrong statement, publicizing every wrong decision, or collaborating
against every wrong movement. Before long, it is cyberspace that directs what
we think about.
God calls his
children to think about things that are characteristic of light, rather than the
characteristics of darkness. It is the nature of light to shine. It does not
work at dissipating darkness, but simply expresses itself as what it is.
Jesus told
his brothers that the church is the light of the world. He said,
“You are the light of the world.
A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it
under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the
same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good
works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”[2]
The identity
of the church is, “you are the light of
the world.” The work of the church is “let
your light shine before others.” The means of doing this work is, “your good works.” The light of Christ
shines in, through, and from, the church by the church doing the “good works, which God prepared beforehand,
that we should walk in them.”[3]
Just prior to
telling the church to think about what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely,
commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy, God calls us to this high and noble
expression of light shining in the darkness, “…do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”[4]
This verse
covers how we can bring all the terrible world events to God in prayer,
rejecting anxiety and distraction as the means by which we handle what is going
on. With prayer, including presenting all our needs to God in supplication,
immersed in a mindset of thanksgiving, we can present all our requests to God,
asking him for specific applications of how his will could be done on earth as
it is done in heaven.[5]
However, once
we have presented to God whatever is in our hearts, whatever troubles us,
whatever causes us anger against Satan and his destruction of God’s creation,
we then seek to live in this dark world as light shining in ever-darkening
places. What God’s word said a long time ago is just as applicable a call to
prayerful thought as ever: “Arise, shine,
for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.”[6]
Jesus has
come. He was the light shining in a dark place. He was the one who fulfilled
the prophecy that, “the people dwelling
in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and
shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.”[7]
He now sends his brothers into the dark world, not to let the darkness dictate
what we think about, but to so fix our hearts and minds on him, and his
excellent and praiseworthy thoughts, that all we want to do is arise and shine.
If we begin
our day in the word of God, prayerfully listening to what the Spirit is saying
to the churches,[8]
and then go to God with constant prayer, supplication, thanksgiving, and
requests, we will have things on our minds that will direct us to think about
what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and
praiseworthy.
Facebook,
Youtube, and other social media will suggest all kinds of things to think
about. Let’s make sure that our minds are free to “think about these things” God describes in his word. Since, “to set the mind on the flesh is death, but
to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace” (Romans 8:6), let’s be
careful what we think about.
© 2015 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517,
Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8 ~ in2freedom@gmail.com
Unless otherwise noted,
Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English
Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good
News Publishers.)
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