Whatever Is True

Observe the list. Whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy. Eight words, and Paul says to think about such things. Then in verse nine he shifts from thinking to doing: 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.

Interpret the placement. This comes immediately after the command not to be anxious and the promise of the peace of God guarding the heart. Paul seems to understand that anxiety is largely a matter of what the mind dwells on. He does not say think about nothing worrying. He fills the space. The mind cannot be emptied, only redirected, and here is the direction.

Notice too that the list is not narrowly religious. True and noble and lovely can describe a well-made table, a good piece of music, a kindness observed on the street. Paul is teaching a habit of attention to the good wherever it appears, because all of it comes from God.

Apply it as a discipline. What your mind rests on in idle moments is being decided by something, and if it is not decided by you, it is decided by whatever is loudest.

What does your mind drift toward when it is unoccupied? Which of Paul's eight words describes something you could deliberately dwell on today? How does putting into practice what you have learned connect to the peace he promises?