Today’s devotion is from Philippians 4:8 (AMP)
Finally, believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart].
I know that some people must think that Philippians 4:8 is the only scripture that I ever meditate on, but, other than it being one of my favorites… Philippians 4:8 and the truth that it imparts keeps me positive in a negative world, full of faith in a skeptical world and full of grace, life, joy and peace in a world that so desperately needs Jesus and the truth of the New Covenant.
Today, I want to deal with getting upset and angry about what others say and do. The thing that gets to you may not be the thing that gets to me, but in this life, some things are going to rock your boat, push your buttons and stir your passions in a negative way.
Let me be the first one to get into the confessional booth…
Some things really upset me and get to the core of my being… when preachers dismiss the Word and preach out of their experience, when so called ministers create their own Jesus out of the book of imaginations, when people take some of the New Covenant, some of the Old Covenant and then come up with their own covenant and then preach it to the amen’s of an uninformed, deceived audience that are being led astray, like sheep to the slaughter, it make me so angry and it makes me physically sick. Jesus died to establish a powerful, living, liberating New Covenant, and to see what He did being totally besmudged by people who put more weight upon their visions and on other people’s experiences really bothers me!
There are several other things that get to me… you may be bothered and you may get upset by other things, but whatever it is that upsets you, we simply cannot focus on these things if we are going to be salt and light for Jesus! We have to take those thoughts of anger, frustration and malice captive to Christ… we have to shake off our disgust and we have to embrace compassion and walk in love, and we have to get our minds back to Philippians 4:8.
I cannot change what others preach, or what others believe, or do, or how they conduct themselves, or the effect of what they are doing is having on others, but I can extend grace towards them, I can preach the truth and I can use the negative, harmful, deceptive actions and words of others to stir me up for the cause of Christ. As we face all of the devil’s attempts to hurt, rob, deceive and kill, a Philippians 4:8 mindset will provoke righteous action and will stir up boldness to lead a New Covenant, grace, liberty and love revolution! A Philippians 4:8 mindset will shake off passivity and ignite passion for the cause of Christ, the living, powerful Word and the amazing gospel of grace, love, righteousness, freedom and peace! - Selah
