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"Finally, brothers, 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."
- Philippians 4:8
I can clearly recall back in 7th grade when Mrs. Linville visited our biology class. She was the Thinking Skills teacher who came from class to class over the year, and on one occasion she taught us the word metacognition. It means to think about thinking. Today, we will do just that.
What do you think about most? I have been pondering this because last week I was asked a question by a student about if the lyrics to songs matter? My response could best be summed up in this verse from Paul to the Church at Philippi. If we hear lyrics that are drawing us closer to Christ, we will likely think about these things. But more broadly than just addressing music, this verse addresses our overall thought life. It's easy to say that one should avoid thinking about things like pornography because it puts unreal and distorted images into a person's mind about sex. But for many people, it is less about the overtly immoral thought life and much more about the subtle ways in which we have programmed our brains to think on things that may or may not be Christ-exalting.
So here is a test for us all.
- When you drive in the car and your mind wanders, to what does it wander?
- When you have some free time, what is your initial thought about how you will spend it?
- When you wake up in the morning, how long before you think about the things of God?
- When you think about having time alone with God in prayer, His Word, or another form, how do you respond at a gut-level?
Food for...thought.
- tC
What do you think about most? I have been pondering this because last week I was asked a question by a student about if the lyrics to songs matter? My response could best be summed up in this verse from Paul to the Church at Philippi. If we hear lyrics that are drawing us closer to Christ, we will likely think about these things. But more broadly than just addressing music, this verse addresses our overall thought life. It's easy to say that one should avoid thinking about things like pornography because it puts unreal and distorted images into a person's mind about sex. But for many people, it is less about the overtly immoral thought life and much more about the subtle ways in which we have programmed our brains to think on things that may or may not be Christ-exalting.
So here is a test for us all.
- When you drive in the car and your mind wanders, to what does it wander?
- When you have some free time, what is your initial thought about how you will spend it?
- When you wake up in the morning, how long before you think about the things of God?
- When you think about having time alone with God in prayer, His Word, or another form, how do you respond at a gut-level?
Food for...thought.
- tC
