A brilliant sunrise. A majestic mountain peak. A rushing, sparkling waterfall. These are all things we consider to be lovely. What makes them so?
Lovely things are those which are pleasing to our senses. They result in feelings of pleasure rather than discomfort. They cause us to feel joy rather than pain. They leave us wanting more rather than wanting to turn away.
The word “lovely” in Philippians 4:8 comes from the Greek adjective “prosphilēs”, which generally means “acceptable or pleasing” or “friendly towards”.
If I’m going to be honest, my thoughts over the last couple of days have been far from lovely. They have been ugly—twisted by anger, frustration, and irritability. I can tell you right now these unpleasant thoughts have caused me (and those around me) a significant amount of pain. And they certainly have not left me desiring more just like them.
Honestly, the litmus test for lovely thoughts is pretty straightforward: how do they make you feel? How do they make those around you feel? Do they bring peace, comfort, and joy, or do they instead bring anxiety, discomfort, and sadness? Do they result in you feeling hopeful or hopeless? Do they bring refreshment or do they bring you down? Are your thoughts friendly to yourself and to those around you, or do they create barriers to love and friendship?
In summary, could you happily live out your days alongside the thoughts you are having right now?
This week’s challenge is going to require a lot of introspection (as if we haven’t been doing enough of that already!). It necessitates understanding, on the deepest level, that our thoughts truly do dictate how we feel.
All of our emotions are driven by our thoughts. We think they are driven by circumstances, but the truth is it’s our thoughts about our circumstances that impact the way we feel. Lovely thoughts will result in pleasant emotions, while ugly thoughts will result in emotions that make us want to lash out and break all the things.
It’s so much easier to blame everyone and everything else for our negative emotions, but it’s time for us to take responsibility for our own emotions by taking responsibility for the thoughts that cause them. Do you really want the way you feel to be dictated by things that are outside of your control? Wouldn’t it be far better for you to choose the way you’re going to feel today?
I want you to carefully take stock this week of your emotions and trace them back to whatever thought is driving them. If you’re having trouble discerning your thoughts, ask God to help you see them more clearly. This may be difficult at first, particularly as you are brought face to face with the truth of what’s behind how you’re feeling. But with time and practice, I believe the long-term benefits will far outweigh the temporary discomfort.
May we all become more empowered by the Spirit as we learn to take ownership of our thoughts and feelings!