And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Philippians 4:8
We may not realize this truth, but the things we focus our minds on profoundly impact our lives. After all, everything we say and do begins with a thought we have had in our minds, for better or worse. The truth is, there are many things we can focus our minds on, but not all are beneficial. If we focus on the things of this world, we will feel anxious, worried, stressed, and more. If we, on the other hand, focus on the things of God and His kingdom, we will find contentment, joy, and, as we learned during our Bible study yesterday, peace. In a world where so much is competing for the attention of our minds, we are commanded to think differently.
The apostle Paul reminds us of the importance of focusing on the things of God and His kingdom in Philippians 4. He wrote in this passage of Scripture, “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise” (verse 8). Notice the command, “fix your thoughts.” This is not a passive command. Fixing our thoughts requires focus. In a world competing for the attention of our minds, we have to make every effort to drown out the distractions around us and set our minds on all of the things listed in Philippians 4:8 that are of Him and His kingdom. Fixing our thoughts also requires dedication. It is a daily habit we must practice regularly. Every single day, we have to choose what we will focus on.
If we follow Paul’s instructions in Philippians 4, we will, first and foremost, bring honor to our Heavenly Father. That is not all, however. You see, as we focus on these things that are true, honorable, admirable, lovely, and more, we will naturally become more peaceful, joyful, and hopeful. After all, we followers of Christ have every reason to live filled with peace, joy, and hope.
Look at the list of things that the apostle Paul invites us to set our minds on in Philippians 4:8-9. Pick one of those categories of things to focus on today. For example, you might choose to focus on things that are “worthy of praise” today. Commit to thinking about things related to your chosen category as you go throughout your day. At the end of your day, reflect on how focusing your mind on the things listed in Philippians 4 impacted your day. Praise God for the joy, peace, and hope that can only be found in Him!
“God, as I commit to focusing on the things of You and Your Kingdom, help me…”
Philippians 4:1-9
1Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stay true to the Lord. I love you and long to see you, dear friends, for you are my joy and the crown I receive for my work.
2 Now I appeal to Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement. 3 And I ask you, my true partner, to help these two women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the Good News. They worked along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are written in the Book of Life.
4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.
©2026 Sagebrush Church
