Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi can be characterized as a very positive book. There are a few personal rebukes and hints that the Philippian church could appear to be more unified (what church doesn’t need lessons in unity?). Most of the book is a positive statement and encouragement of what the church should do rather than a rebuke of what they are failing to do or an exhortation to stop doing something.

In the final chapter, Paul admonishes and encourages Philippian believers to stand firm in the Lord, rejoice in the Lord always, let their gentleness be evident to all, to not be anxious about anything, but pray about everything, and finally what their thought life should look like:

“Finally, brothers and sisters, 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.”

This does not mean that our thought lives will always reflect Paul’s list of “whatever’s”, however it does mean that believers can control their thoughts and that their thought life should be characterized by what is good and uplifting. We suggest to you that thinking about whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and worthy of praise applies to every area of life.

Dear friends, we are living in a world whose god is Satan, and while living and working in this world, we are surrounded daily by unbelievers whose minds have been blinded by this world’s god (2 Cor 4:4). We are constantly bombarded with this world’s (and American culture’s) values and priorities, many of which have been legislated into law, although they represent that which is evil and even called “abomination” in the sight of God. The same man who, as a Senator, signed the “Defense of Marriage Act” in 1996 defining marriage as between a man and a woman, has signed (as the nation’s President) woefully named “Respect for Marriage Act” legalizing same-sex marriage on a national level.

Popular media is filled with the “apostles” of our culture’s moral insanity. Whether we are talking about music, TV, movies, literature, or social media, we are constantly bombarded with information and material that utterly fails the Philippians 4:8 test concerning what should characterize our thought lives. This does not mean that everything we watch, read, or listen to must be overtly Christian in nature, but it does mean that while we can never tune out all media consumption, we can exert a level of control. We can also apply the Philippians 4:8 rule to whatever we are being fed by the media in our TMI world.

I also have to confess that applying the Phil 4:8 rule is easier said than done. It makes me angry, even furious sometimes to see our government legalizing and even celebrating that which God calls abomination, especially when that same government also wants me to celebrate what God hates. I am reminded of a passage in the book of Romans:

“Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.” Romans 1:32

For an even more detailed picture of what’s going on in our world, read Romans 1:18-32 in its entirety.

As someone who served his nation in uniform for 28 years, and as a government defense contractor for another 15+ years, I hate to see this once great nation being torn to pieces, all the while knowing that God is sovereign over every nation on Earth.

I don’t much care for much for the ‘professing’ Christian church being an adventure in missing the gospel by ignoring/minimizing sin and feeding us a steady diet of ‘our best lives now’, in its many forms. I’d rather listen to classic hymns of the faith in their original forms, both lyrical and musical. Maybe that’s just because I’m old. I remember when Sunday morning worship was all about God, not me and my feelings. I’m not riding the snivel train, just trying to be honest. I’m sure others might agree with me.

So you see, sometimes it’s hard to shift gears from the bad news that constantly bombards us the things Paul tells should most occupy our minds and characterize our thought lives. While I can avoid a lot of what today’s media and culture sends my way, I can’t block it all out. While I cannot personally fix everything that is broken, I can support those who are trying in meaningful ways to restore the “old paths” (see Jeremiah 6:16).

But I still ask myself “Self, what can you do, not only to maintain a Godly thought life, as Paul advises us, but to fix that which is broken, whether it’s in the church, in our society and culture, in my neighborhood, my family, or wherever I have the ability to effect change?

In answer to that, I am reminded of something Martyn Lloyd Jones once said:

“There can be no doubt whatsoever that all the troubles in the Church today, and most of the troubles in the world, are due to a departure from the authority of the Bible.”

While I agree with the Doctor, that statement presents me with the monumental task of trying to restore the world in which I live to the authority of the Bible. Maybe I should break that down to developing and applying a Biblical worldview to everything in my life. Perhaps when I behave differently than others around me, and when I am asked why I seem to react differently than most to the cultural and political insanity, I can refer to Scripture and how it affects my life, and perhaps even share some of the Biblical truths that fuel my spirit.

But most importantly, above anything else, I can share the story of the gospel of Jesus Christ, that when believed and received, is THE starting point that leads to lasting change in ourselves, in our society and culture, and indeed in the larger world around us.