What are you Thinking?

What are you Thinking?
By Jonathan Mitchell

An important part of the Good News which has come to us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and then through His Gift to us, which is the Father, via the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4-8, JMNT: "the Father's promise {or: the promise pertaining to, and from, the Father; or, as a genitive of apposition: the Promise which is the Father}..."), is the admonitions which Jesus gave to us, and those many further admonitions which His sent-forth representatives added for us, in their letters.

An important presentation among these is found in Phil. 4:

8. In conclusion (or: Finally; or: What [is] left), brothers (= fellow believers; [my] family), as much as is true (or: as many things as are genuine and real), as many as [are] awe-inspiring (serious; respectable; noble; dignified by holiness), as much as [is] rightwised (put right; fair, equitable; just; in right relationship within the Way pointed out), as many as [are] pure and innocent, as much as [is] affection-inducing (friendly; directed toward what is liked; loveable or lovely; agreeable; well-regarded; winsome; engendering fondness; attractive; kindly disposed), as many as [are] well-spoken-of (commendable; reputable; of good report; the effect of fair speaking; well-stated; renowned): since [these have] certain (or: if [there is] any) excellence and nobleness (virtues of braveness, courage, good character, quality, self-restraint, magnificence, benevolence, reliability) [in them], and since [these have] some (or: if [there is] any) praise applied (fit expression of high evaluation; honor paid; public approval or applause) [to them], be habitually thinking about and analyzing these things in a logical way (repeatedly make these things the focus of careful consideration and analysis; continuously take these things into account)!

9. Keep on practicing and accomplishing these things which you folks both learn and accept (or: learned and received alongside) - even [what] you heard and saw within me.

Now then, the God of the Peace, which is this Joining, (or: And so, this God, the source and quality of peace; Also, the God which is this Joined- harmony) will continue existing in company with you folks (or: will constantly be with you folks). [cf Rom. 15:33; 16:20; 2 Cor. 13:11; 1 Thes. 5:23]

We constantly hear of, or are confronted with, negative situations or negative experiences. The natural response is the rise of negative emotions, and then often, negative reactions. These are not necessarily bad, so long as we do not proceed in harboring bad feelings or acting out negative attitudes. The darkness of the night is just as important as the light of day. They are the ebb and flow of the rhythm of life. The negative situation is often a catalyst for positive action, based upon positive thinking. The result can be progress... a move forward. The negative push of the earth allows us to take a step forward, or up. The point is not to get stuck. Redirecting our thinking can produce creative imagination, which in turn can engender pattern-forming, directed information (the Logos) which leads us into the new.

Negative events and attending negative emotions, have an important function in life. The crucifixion of Jesus had an important function in the inauguration the New Reality, and sorrow was turned to joy.

Jesus said,

"Within the System (dominating and controlling world of culture, religion, economy and government; or: among and in union with the aggregate of humanity) you normally have pressure and stress (or: continually have squeezing; repeatedly have tribulation and oppression), but nonetheless, be confident and take courage! I, Myself, have overcome and conquered the System (dominating world; organized arrangement of religion and society; aggregate of humanity) so that it stands a completed victory!" (Jn. 16:33)

Taking His words to heart, we can understand why Paul would counsel us to "be habitually thinking about and analyzing these things in a logical way" (Phil. 4:8, above). The loveliness of a flower arises from decaying matter within the soil. Responding to the corruption in the earth by focusing on the Beauty of Christ, wherein, "every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil. 2:10-11), engenders in us a mindset of positive change for humanity. As Jurgen Moltmann suggested, it gives us a Theology of Hope.

Our thoughts are often expressions of our hearts. In the Wisdom Literature of the book of Proverbs, we read, "More than any guarding, preserve your heart, for from it springs the outflowing of life" (4:23, CVOT). In Lu. 6, Jesus gave these instructions:

27. "But rather, and to the contrary, I am now saying to you folks - the people continuing to listen, and constantly hearing - Be habitually loving your enemies (accepting and giving yourselves to and for the folks that are hostile in regard to you); be repeatedly doing ideally to (constantly performing beautifully for; habitually acting nobly and finely among; or: = grant favors to) the folks habitually hating you, constantly radically detaching from you and repeatedly treating you with ill-will.

28. "Repeatedly speak words of goodness, ease, well-being and blessing to the people constantly cursing (or: making negative prayers about; wishing anything against; [cf 23:34, below; Rom. 12:14]) you folks; be constantly thinking and speaking toward [their] having goodness and well-being: concerning (or: habitually praying about) the folks [that] repeatedly threaten, insult, speak with spite, mistreat or abuse you."

Such attitudes and actions issue from the heart, and can only arise from a heart that has been enlightened by the Spirit of Christ. Such a heart can do what Paul admonished in Phil. 4, above, because it has been raised up to a higher consciousness (heaven), as we are instructed in Eph. 2:6. As Paul admonished us, in Rom. 12:21,

"be constantly conquering (overcoming; victorious over; vanquishing) the worthless (the unsound, the bad and the ugly; the evil) [by being] in union with, and in the sphere of, The Good One (or: [being a participant,] centered within what is profitable; or: in [living] in the midst of this Virtue)."

We produce this sort of fruit by "abiding in the Vine" (Jn. 15:4-5). In this sphere of Christ’s world view, knowing that He has made all humanity into "One New Humanity" (Eph. 2:15), we can view ourselves as being joined in union with the corporate Adam. We can empathize with the pain and loss which we observe in the world. We can listen to those in these conditions and cover them with Love, while projecting LIFE to them through our prayers for them and our actions on their behalf.