From my inbox this morning:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, 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.
Check out this connection I just made. What are we to think on?
· truth
· nobility (in archaic sense)
· righteousness
· purity
· loveliness
· things that are admirable
· excellence
· things that are praiseworthy
What are you thinking on when you are anxious? PROBLEMS. I'm probably behind all of you, but I don't think I ever made the connection before that these two verses sit in juxtaposition to one another. Don't be anxious....pray with thanksgiving....think on positive things.
Unless you have a physical disorder, you aren't anxious unless you are considering, on some level, things that trouble you. What if you considered things that don't trouble you? Things like the list above? I think I've always thought the verse meant don't think on bad things, which it certainly covers. But today I'm thinking it also, and perhaps more directly, means don't think on negative things. This may be related to why we are to do everything without complaining--because complaining is thinking on negative things, and that surely leads to anxiety!
I hope this makes sense. I've just come to this realization and haven't really spent time processing it until right now. Perhaps I should have pondered first, but I just got so excited! (I already know that I'm a complete freak! )
Hope you're pondering on non-negative things today!
-J
(c)2007
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3 comments:
I need to visit here more often. You are so insightful (for someone who's related to me). Mind if I add you to my blogroll?
Now as for what I'm thinking about -- I'm thinking of hitting the sack.
Please, then tell me how to do it, too, as I have no idea! LOL! :-) Thanks for the encouragement! -J
Okay, to add a "blogroll" (a.k.a. - "link list") in Blogger, (after logging in) hit the "customize" button at the top right of your blog. On the right side of the page that pops up, there'll be a link called "Add a Page Element". Click on that link and then (on the page that pops up) select the "Link List" item. Then fill out the "Configure Link List" window that pops up. To add a link, just copy and paste a web address into the "New Site URL" box.
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