Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
I was struggling with some things that I know about a friend of mine the other day, and I shared my struggles with another friend as he was driving me home. I was comparing myself to this friend and feeling like I deserved more than him. I was almost envious of the things and status that my friend has. Although I knew my thoughts were not thoughts I should have, I could not block them out of my mind.
The following day, Ted sent me a verse that he had read later that night. Philippians 4:8-9. The only way to remove thoughts that you do not want in your mind is to think on other things.
It’s like when you get that really annoying song stuck in your head and you can’t help but play the most annoying line from the song on repeat in you mind. The only way to get that song out of your head is to listen to another song or start singing another song. When you have evil, impure, worrisome, despicable, or painful thoughts, the only way to break that cycle of bad thoughts is to think about the true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, and excellent things.
The more I thought about these verses, the more I thought that they would apply to anyone who is still struggling with the impact that the Sandy Hook shooting had on them. Instead of thinking about the pain that the families are feeling, think of the joy that the children had as they entered into the presence of The Almighty God. Instead of focusing on figuring out how to prevent this from happening again, put your focus on the noble things you’ve seen this past year. Think about acts of kindness that you can share with others. “Practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”
Many people still don’t know what to do with the tragedy. They have no words to define the emotions they are still experiencing. To you I say, start with prayer. Then practice the ways of Christ. The God of peace will give you the peace you need.
After I read those verses, I began thinking of the blessings that God has poured out on my family this year. Even as I write this paragraph, my wife texted me another unexpected blessing that she received today. The status of my friend and the things that he chooses to do or not do have nothing to do with me. Thinking about those things only brings me down. I will instead focus on what God is doing in my life. I will practice the things I have learned, received, heard, and seen in Christ. The God of peace will be with me instead of the spirit of envy.