“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 NIV
We are reminded of the darker side of life all the
time. We need to recognize the reality
of evil, but Paul exhorts us to not be swamped by it. He encourages us to think about the good work
that people are doing, the positive actions that governments are taking, the
beauty around us, the loving people who nurture us, the compassionate people
who care for the unwelcome and challenged people of the world. He wants us to
think about the love that God has for us, the changes God is making in us as he
transforms us. He wants us to remember
our blessings and enjoy them. We need to focus on the light so that we can
dispel the darkness.
Depression and discouragement are so often the means by
which Christians are kept in check. We need our daily dose of “light vitamins”. We need to remember that this world will
never be heaven, but that even as the Prince of the World tries to destroy
mankind, God is lighting a path for us and blessing us in innumerable ways. We
need to let the joy of the Lord well up in us so that it can be our strength.
As darkness seeks to overcome us, we can be assured that the ways of the Lord
are brilliant.
