Diving in Deeper

What is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy?

I pray that your week was filled with moments and thoughts of things that were lovely and praiseworthy. For some, these thoughts come readily and easily. For others, we wrack our brains and still can’t come up with even one thing. We may have so much pain, uncertainty, trouble, or doubt in our lives that nothing comes to mind when we think of the words true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. 

Have you ever found that some words you thought you knew, actually have an entirely different meaning when you read their definition in the dictionary? When I was growing up, I thought the word ornery meant silly and playful. When I became an adult, someone told me I was using it incorrectly, so I looked up ornery in the dictionary and found the real definition includes being bad-tempered and combative. With my blunder in mind, I thought it might be helpful to explore the actual meaning of each of the words in Philippians 4:8 to maybe reveal a deeper or new understanding of their definition. Merriam-Webster definitions include the following:

True - fully realized or fulfilled; steadfast; loyal

Noble - possessing outstanding qualities

Right - genuine, real

Pure - free from harshness or roughness; containing nothing that does not properly belong; having exactly the talents or skills needed for a particular role

Lovely - delightful for beauty, harmony, or grace

Admirable - deserving the highest esteem

Excellent - very good of its kind; eminently good; outstanding

Praiseworthy – commendable; deserving approval and admiration; worthy of praise

For me, these definitions make it easier to see the small gifts that God places right in front of me throughout each day. While it may be helpful to have these definitions, it is also important to keep in mind that our relationship with Jesus is personal. Jesus and I have our own inside jokes, our own communication style, and things that only He and I appreciate. So what Jesus and I find pure and lovely will most likely be different than what you and Jesus find pure and lovely. It isn’t very useful to go looking in someone else’s yard for what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy because I promise you, He has filled your yard with plenty of these things.  Sometimes it is the glare off of someone else’s yard that prevents us from seeing the beauty in our own.  But, it is there and He is there. He promises never to abandon us. If your life feels like a complete mess, He is sitting right there in your mess with you. And, there is something in your mess that He will use for His glory, and it is most likely one of the little true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy things.

Discipline is another word that has several meanings and can stir a variety of emotions depending on its use. For most, the word discipline stirs more negative emotions than positive ones. This week, I was listening to Jonathan Pitts talk about the discipline of celebration. For a moment, I thought, “Wait. What? The words discipline and celebration together?” He talked about the importance of being disciplined in our choice to celebrate. This doesn’t mean to celebrate with restraint or in moderation, it means to intentionally decide to celebrate with every ounce of your being. It means to make a decision to celebrate joyfully those things that deserve celebration. In Philippians 4:8, Paul is reminding us to be disciplined in our decision to think on things that are true, lovely, and pure. Even when darker thoughts enter our minds, Philippians 4:8 encourages us to make the choice to think on what is excellent, praiseworthy, and right. Let’s not just have a fleeting thought on these things, let’s ruminate on what is admirable, right, and noble.

Today I pray that you have the opportunity to see Jesus in your day. If your day is amazing, I pray that you see Him. If your day is terrible, I pray that you see Him. He is there. He is there providing little touches of things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. He not only wants you to see them, He wants you to think on them. God wants to partner with you on your daily journey and He wants to be your go-to in all your challenges. I pray that you let Him. It is in His Holy Name and His true words that I lift up this prayer.