Worry to Praise

Series: Letters from My Future Self | Week 1: Don't Overthink It

Read Philippians 4:8 in your personal Bible or at the link provided.

Discover
1. What themes do you see in today’s verse?
2. Where do you see God in it?
3. What difference does He make?

Respond
Yesterday we looked at worry and how to redirect it through prayer. Today’s verse provides another way to redirect it. When a worry enters into our heads, we can redirect it in our thought life. The peace God wants to give us won’t have anywhere to land if our minds are full of comparisons, conflicts, criticisms, and complaints. Instead, God wants us to fix our thoughts elsewhere.

When a worry comes into your mind, redirect it with this eight-question test:
• Is this true?
• Is this honorable?
• Is this right?
• Is this pure?
• Is this lovely?
• Is this admirable?
• Is this excellent?
• Is it worthy of praise?

When you do this, you invite God in, and you transform your heart to reflect Him to the world around you. As one Bible commentary puts it, “What we put into our minds determines what comes out in our words and actions.”

So how are you doing in your thought life? Do you need to redirect any thoughts today? Surrender anything that comes to mind, and ask God to fill you with peace as you obey His Word.

Want to go deeper? Read this article on how to get your mind back on track.

* Life Application Study Bible: New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2019.
**TPCC does not necessarily endorse all “Want to go deeper” sources. They are simply meant to be a helpful tool.

Letters from My Future Self