Think About Heavenly Things

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.

(Philippians 4:8)

Why have I spent so much time filling my mind with garbage? I’ve read unclean jokes or off-color cartoons and shared them on social media. I used to go to movies or watch things on television that are detestable to the Lord and thought nothing of it. My baser instincts are to gravitate toward the impure offerings of our entertainment industry. How can I, as a Christian, live a righteous life if I’m continuously feeding on the poisonous filth of this world?

Instead, I should look for and promote the things that are wholesome and good. My money and time have power if I, as Christians, refuse to support the immorality that Hollywood puts out. If my ticket money, along with other Christians, is used to support good family entertainment, the fat cats in Hollywood will get the message.  If we do not purchase products that are advertised on immoral television shows eventually the companies advertising on those shows will get the message. We must focus on what is good and praise and support them with our entertainment money.

Christians are a large segment of the purchasing power of the world. Together, we have the power of the purse, but we don’t act any different than the rest of the world. We have been set apart by God to be a light in a dark world. That means he wants us to be a positive influence on the world. We can force change if we collectively support what is clean and good. Of course, I’m not just talking about the entertainment industry. Looking for and thinking about the praiseworthy in the fallen world crosses the gambit of everyday life.

There are a lot of things I can do to keep myself from anything that is not pleasing to God, but it’s not enough to just boycott worldly things. I can talk to my unsaved family and friends about why I love the Lord and what he did to save me. I will boast loudly about the majesty of God’s creation, and his dominion over the whole world. I will support my church and the worldwide Church of Christ with my sweat and with my wallet to my fullest ability.

Heavenly Father, you are the author of love. It’s you we look to for how we’re supposed to treat each other. Before we turn our lives and hearts to you, we think we know what love is. We think it’s about loving only those closest to us, but in reality, that’s only familial love, a small part of the spectrum of your love. You want to have that familial love, but also to have brotherly love, even for those we don’t necessarily like very much. Remind us that we cannot claim to know you and what your love is, and then deny it to others. Even though we cannot see you, Lord, we can feel your grace and mercy in our daily lives. Thank you, Father, for filling our hearts with your love. You are willing to give us so much love that it burst forth from us to everyone we meet. Now we can know if we really love you, by how much we love others. We pray this through Jesus Christ our King. Amen!