Choosing the Truth
Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:9
Being transformed by the renewing of our minds requires a proper orientation toward God. Circumstances may not always allow us to be happy, but we can always rejoice in the Lord. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit, and this inner joy can be experienced in every circumstance, because “the Lord is near” (Philippians 4:5).
Paul admonishes us to turn to God when we are feeling anxious, or double-minded. He then uses four words to describe how we do that. “Prayer” is a general term describing our approach to God. “Petition” is a request for a specific need. “Thanksgiving” is an attitude of the heart that should accompany prayer. “Requests” is plural and identifies what is needed. It is like saying, Dear heavenly Father, I am anxious and in need right now. Thank You for your love, and I humbly request the following . . . Then “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard [our] hearts and [our] minds in Christ Jesus” (verse 7).
Being created in the image of God, we have the capacity to choose. We can choose to believe or not believe, and we can choose what we want to think about. It is not enough to turn to God; we have to assume responsibility for our own thoughts. God will assist us through His grace, but He will not do our thinking for us. Paul wrote, “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).
Don’t try to rebuke every negative thought. That would be like trying to keep 12 corks submerged while treading water in the ocean. We should ignore the corks and swim to shore! We are not called to dispel the darkness. We are called to turn on the light. We win the battle for our minds by choosing the truth. Trying not to think negative thoughts is futile, because it just reinforces the negative thought.
Everything we do is a product of our thoughts. In other words, we don’t do anything without first thinking it, which is why turning to God and thinking positive thoughts is not quite enough either. Paul continues, “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you” (verse 9). In other words, live the truth, do the noble deed, do the right thing, live a pure life, and practice loving others as a noble citizen in God’s kingdom.
If we want to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, we have to reprogram our minds. However, like a computer, we better check for viruses. Computer viruses are not accidental—they have been intentionally and maliciously introduced to cripple the computer (brain) and disrupt the program (mind). “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons” (1 Timothy 4:1). That is presently happening today all over the world, which is why we need to submit to God and resist the devil (see James 4:7). The Steps to Freedom in Christ have been designed to help you do that by resolving personal and spiritual conflicts through genuine repentance and faith in God.
a few questions to consider:
Why can believers always rejoice in the Lord?
What should we do when we are struggling with anxious thoughts?
Why is it futile to try to rebuke every negative thought?
How can you make turning to God a habit whenever you have anxious thoughts?
Why is it so important to learn to take every thought captive in obedience to Christ?
Neil T. Anderson is the founder of Freedom in Christ Ministries. He began the ministry in 1989 and continues to spread the message of freedom to this day.