Philippians 4:8 – ‘…whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.’
Jesus told Pilate, ‘…the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.’ (Jn. 18:37)
I once heard a woman challenge a scholar by saying, ‘there’s no right and there’s no wrong.’ He responded by saying, ‘is that statement right or wrong?’ To say that something is wrong is to affirm that something is right; it is an absolute truth claim. Truth is exclusive by definition and we see this played out today when people who claim to be tolerant call others bigots for disagreeing with them. The question becomes, ‘what is your truth?’ Is truth something objective, outside of us, or subjective – something we decide for ourselves?
Jesus said He is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to God the Father but by Him (Jn. 14:6). In Philippians 4, the Apostle Paul picks up on Jesus’ words telling us we must dwell on what is true from Christ’s perspective if we are to have the peace of God in our lives. For our lives to have direction, meaning, and a positive impact on others, we must dwell on Jesus’ way, truth, and life and then ask Him to help us follow. We must get proactive about bringing every thought captive unto Christ. What are you choosing to dwell on today?
Heavenly Father, help me to come humbly under your truth each day that I may become honorable, pure, lovely, praiseworthy, and have a good reputation. Help me to stay focused and dwell on your Word that I might be used for your purposes. Amen.