EARWORMS

EARWORMS

READ:
Philippians 4:4-9

If there is any virtue and if
there is anything praiseworthy-
meditate on these things.
-Philippians 4:8

They  burrow.  They bore in.  They attach themselves inside your head.  Earworms, a term once used exclusively for insects, is now the name for those unrelenting tunes that you can't get out of your head.  Songs like, "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," the "Barney" song, or my personal nightmare:  "It's a Small World After All." 

They say the only way to rid yourself of the insidious infestation is to replace it with another tune-your "cleaner" song.  New words and a fresh tune can crowd out the old.

Maybe we could use a cleaner song for our thought-life as well.  When lustful or vengeful thoughts creep into our minds, reading and meditating on God's Word can help to clean up our thinking.

Scripture tells us to love the Lord "with all [our] heart, with all [our] soul, and with all [our] mind" (Matthew 22:37) and not to "be conformed to this world" but to "be transformed by the renewing of [our] mind" (Romans 12:2).  It instructs us to think about things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8).

When our minds wander to evil, the best "cleaner" is to allow the wisdom of the Bible to permeate our thoughts and hearts (2 Timothy 3:16). -Cindy Hess Kasper

Dear Lord, our desire is to spend time in Your Word.
We know that meditating on Your Word fills our minds
with thoughts of You and helps to keep our
thinking from wandering to evil.  Help us to do so.
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Character is the sum total of all our thoughts,
words, and deeds.

INSIGHT
The virtuous life is to be the believer's focus (v.8).  What is "true" refers to basing one's life on reality according to God's Word.  "Noble" means honest or worthy of respect.  "Just" corresponds to a moral sense of what is fair.  What is "pure" indicates a character that has not been mixed with debasing qualities.  "Lovely" means expressing love toward others in relationships.  Finally, "good report" carries with it the idea of a positive reputation, which indicates reliable Christian character.

Have a blessed day.
God Our Creator's Love Always
Unity & Peace