Philippians 4:8

It is amazing to realize what fills our minds during our waking hours. Take worry for instance. The truth about worry is that it disrupts our peace.  The opposite of peace is worry. The Greek word for anxious means to have “a divided mind” between legitimate thoughts and destructive thoughts. Destructive thoughts will choke out the Word of God and cause believers to abandon trust.               (Ps 55:22; Matt 6:25; 13:7, 22; Luke 10:41; and 1 Peter 5:7)

 These are the facts about worrying:

• 40% of the things people worry about never happen.
• 30% of our worries are related to past matters, which are now beyond our control.
• 12% of our worries have to do with our health, even when we are not actually ill.
• 10% of our worries are about friends and neighbors and are not based in evidence or fact. 
• Only 8% of our worries have some basis in reality, which means that over 90% of the things we worry about never happen.

With that information in mind, try picturing the Christian prayer life in this way: The Christian prayer life is composed of three circles. 

• The first is the Worry Circle, in which the word nothing is written because the Bible says, “Be anxious about nothing.” 
• The second is the Prayer Circle, with the word everything written inside because the Bible says, “In everything let your prayers be known to God.”
• The third is the Thanksgiving Circle, with the word anything  written inside because the Bible says, “be thankful for anything.” 

When we live within those three circles, we overcome stress that comes into our lives.

The right place to put our minds.

 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. (Phil. 4:8)

 Whatever things are true: Paul’s list of things on which we should meditate translates well from the Greek to the English; there is no great need for any further elaboration upon each item.

 Noble… just… pure… lovely… good report… virtue… praiseworthy: These, Paul would say, are the fruit and the food of the mind that is guarded by the peace of God. When we put these good things into our mind, they stay in our mind and then come forth from us.

 Meditate on these things: Much of the Christian life comes down to the mind. Romans 12:2 speaks of the essential place of being transformed by the renewing of your mind and 2 Corinthians 10:5 speaks of the importance of casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. What we choose to meditate on matters.

What Paul describes here is a practical way to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.