The Truth is out there

We didn't really get time last Sunday morning to explore Philippians 4:8-9 as most of our time was looking at verses 4-7. But I wonder how you understand the instruction Paul gives in 8? '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'.

Is this a challenge to separate from the world around so that we try to eliminate contact with anything that is not true, noble, right etc? Is it a call to only read Christian books, and only listen to Christian music, to attend Christian school, college, university...?

Or is it rather a recognition that the world is God's world. It was created by God, and initially it was good. Since then it has been spoiled, but surely there is still much that is good in the world. There is plenty that is good, and lovely and beautiful in the world. And one of the ways in which we develop this thankful attitude that Paul has been speaking about, is to allow ourselves to become more aware of what God is doing in the world around us - The Lord is near (4:5). And so whatever is true - whether it is a truth that you hear in a sermon, or someone standing up for truth and challenging injustice - whatever we encounter that is true, we can be thankful as we think about these things. Yes - I believe in absolute truth - Jesus claims to be the truth (John 14:6), but that doesn't mean that truth is confined to the four walls of the church. If we really believe that God is everywhere then we may well find things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy in some unusual places.

Don't worry, be happy

'Don't worry, be happy' - great - but based on what? On what grounds shouldn't I worry? Putting on a 'happy face' in public, even though my world is crumbling around me is one thing - but what about in the middle of the night, when I lay awake at night? Is it so easy not to worry then?

The grounds for not worrying, according to Paul in Philippians 4:6-7, is that when we present our requests to God, God will give us peace. There is no promise here that the situation or crisis will go away - but there is the promise of peace. But these requests come out of a thankful attitude - an awareness of what God has already done - not in the sense of providing me with so much stuff - but in the sense that He has begun a work and will carry it on, that I am loved, that my sin is forgiven, that I have a hope for the future......

There have been times in my life when I have experienced this peace that makes no sense - total peace in the middle of the raging storm. If you're looking for peace - ask God.

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