Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Your Brain Diet
What did you eat for breakfast this morning? Whatever your answer, remember the old adage, “you are what you eat.” What do we mean by that? We mean that one’s physical condition will be no better than the food which fuels it. Yet, in Mark 7 Jesus spoke to very religious, devout Jews and said, “It’s not what goes into the man that defiles him, it is what comes from his heart.”
Have you ever tracked what you eat in a day? For most of us, it would be more than we think and different than we think. What did you eat today? You may think to yourself, “I had cereal at breakfast. Then, at lunch I had a tuna sandwich, and for supper I had roast beef and mashed potatoes. Oh, and I ate a Snickers bar at 9, gummy bears at 11, and a shake at 2.” We eat all the time, and if we are not deliberate about what we are eating, then we are not mindful about what is fueling our physical condition.
Likewise, your spiritual condition will be no better than the thinking that fuels it. Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Just as your physical condition hinges on what you take in, so your spiritual condition hinges on what you take in, what you think.
When the Bible says to think on truth, it is not just speaking in the abstract. Suppose I say to myself, “I’m going to sit here for five minutes and think about truth.” No, Philippians says, “Think on things that are true.” Thinking on things that are true requires a source that is true and helps you in your thinking. Where does one find things that are true, honest, lovely, and so on? Begin with the Bible!
It’s amazing what you think on and ingest in a day. Just as with your food diet, the diet you have for your brain consists of more input and different input than you may recognize. Most people have a smartphone. That device is bombarding your eyes, ears, and brain every day and more than you think. You can’t read junk, watch junk, and listen to junk and expect to do well in your life, to be a clear-thinking person who loves God and knows which way is up. So, be deliberate.
I recently saw a kitchen magnet that said, “The best tool to help you improve your health is your fork.” Well, your Bible is your best tool to improve your spiritual health. How much time are you spending in the Bible? And I don’t mean just reading it, but understanding what it says and thinking about how it applies to your life. What books are you reading? Be deliberate about what you read. You can read for pleasure, of course, but be deliberate about the things that you are taking into your mind.
We can’t do right if we don’t think right, and we can’t think right if we have the wrong kind of diet. “Whatsoever things are true… think on these things.”