Think on These Things

Think on These Things.

Good Morning Friends,

Today some of our family plan to be playing and some of us singing a commissioned organ, bell, violin and chorus piece at church. It will be presented in worship to honor God but also as an encouragement for Dick and Martha Crofts who help bring a ministry of music to the Moorings. Its message draws from today’s scripture in Philippians. The composition is entitled, Think on These Things.

Scripture: “Finally, brothers and sisters, 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.

Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

The Lord is just in all his ways, and kind in all his doings.

Psalm 145:17 (NRSV)

Message: Focusing on the positive helps us to connect to what God is doing during times of change. God does not seem to be too concerned with us rushing to a resolution. Every congregation faces this challenge and sometimes it takes a long time. When we confuse what the world considers blessings with what the Bible counts as blessings heartache and spiritual unrest can occur. In today’s scripture Paul encourages believers in Philippi to work together through the struggles of change so they might focus on the good news. Part of a healthy strategy here is responding with a winning attitude. Part of a healthy strategy is discovering that God wants us to live purposeful, productive and satisfying lives but that God is righteous in all His ways. Yes, God is kind in all his doings. This can be difficult to see if we are in the middle of an argument or personal struggle. Part of the strategy therefore is looking for happiness in the right places. The blessing of music can help. Whistling while we work if you will. You see…music has a way of helping us to revive the mind when it is stressed. Music soothes the savage beast within, transforming our hearts and minds. It helps to make us more positive and the more positive we are the happier we will become. The more we praise and give, the more joyous we become. Obedience to what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy is the ticket. Experiencing how music can bring good things together for a purpose is witness to this connection between the Wisdom of Christ found in David and Paul.

Pray we focus on the right things. Pray we focus on people, not possessions. Pray we focus on service, not self. Pray we focus on God’s grace, not our own goodness. Pray we thoughtfully embrace the good God has for us. Pray we awaken to God’s purpose for us. Pray we discover that everything God directly does involves relationships, even as a minimal the connection between Creator and creation. Pray we discover that reciprocal obligations are entailed and that an expected purpose is intended. Pray we understand that what God does in us always produces a chain reaction witnessing and proclaiming that God’s handiwork is intertwined and deliberate and intentional and that therefor he is sovereign and that only our own will keeps us from resting in His care. Pray we realize that God is the Supreme Musician playing with us, on us and in us. Pray we realize that we cannot separate God from His Music.

Blessings,

John Lawson