October 10, 2022
Daily Devotion:
"To Think with Excellence"
Philippians 4:8
New International Version
8 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.
You are what you eat," so it is said. More importantly, "You are what you think about all day long," which-when you think about it also involves consuming. So what do you "consume" in a given day? Most of us are bombarded with countless things better left unthought and unconsumed. Language, for instance, that is not noble. Images that are not pure. Enticements that are not true. Filtering out all of the garbage is a daunting, moment-by-moment task. Indeed, whether or not we are aware of it, our minds are constantly and subconsciously storing up all the vile filth and degradation an evil world can hurl at us. Ever known any godly folks who under the influence of medication have shocked us with vulgar language? Where do you suppose that language comes from? No wonder Paul calls us to work all the harder fill our mental reservoir with that which is true, noble, right, pure, and lovely. Yet Paul is not warning solely against foul language and dirty pictures, otherwise why employ the word excellent? Excellence is not simply the opposite of foul and dirty, but speaks instead to a standard of thinking that rises above the ordinary. It is disciplined thinking. Quality thinking. Critical thinking. Careful Thinking. It is thinking on the extraordinary, the exceptional, and the sublime. The idea is not simply refusing to eat whatever is found in a garbage bin, but actively seeking to eat of the finest delicacies available. What books not only inform, but inspire? What music not only delights, but uplifts? What conversations not only fill time, but embellish time? To think with excellence is to think as God himself would think.
The question for the day is: Am I content with mental hamburgers when prime cuts of choice thinking are equally available?
