Collateral Thinking

UV 3585/10000 Collateral Thinking Finally, believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things (center you mind on them, and implant them in your heart). Philippians 4 v 8 Paul exhorts believers in this uni-verse to meditate on the truth of God’s word. Our ‘collateral’ thinking can be on whatever we find that is worthy of our attention, retention and consumption. It should be right from the perspective of God’s word. It should be pure, holistic or wholesome. We can think of anything that is noble, peace -enhancing and worthy of admiration and appreciation. Our thought pattern should be characterized by such consistent thinking on these lines. Continual meditation amounts to continual worship and communion with God. It has a wholesome effect on our spirit, mind and body. Paul understood the importance of thinking for when he thought of persecuting the people of the new way or new faith in Christ, it made him act violently and unjustly against the truth. Hence, he began to give first priority to truth in his thought life as a follower of Christ. When we think about the word of God, we are thinking on the above lines. We are thinking the thoughts of God. We acquire the mind of Christ. Paul was not endorsing positive thinking but positive living. Our thoughts influence our entire lives and the lives of people in our circles of influence. It determines our choices, our habits, our actions and reactions. If we change the way we think, we change our lives. For the mind of Christ is all about love and compassion. The mind of Christ is non judgmental. The mind of Christ does not despair and is full of hope regardless of the circumstances and adversities one faces. The mind that feeds on scripture is never starved of hope. Our moods are not dependent on circumstances. We rejoice in good and bad circumstances. That is why scripture has this refrain, “ Rejoice in the Lord always and again, I say rejoice.” The first call to rejoice is in happy settings when everything is going as per plan and desire and the second “rejoice” is even when things are not to our liking, not perfectly comfortable or decidedly uncomfortable, we choose to find our strength in the joy or delight of the Lord. Thinking on the lines indicated by Paul fills our lives with joy and hope. It imparts strength, power to endure or resilience. It enables victorious living.