Bible Passage: “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)
Scripture Reading: Philippians 4:1-23
My brother Joel once changed his mental diet for a few months. He only listened to the Christian radio station that he didn’t find very cool, only watched wholesome TV, read the Bible more, and spent more time in prayer. The background music of his mind became more worshipful and thankful. His battle with the temptation eased a bit. He changed.
The letter of Philippians is written by a man ridiculously full of joy. It exudes celebration and wonder, even though Paul was writing it from a Roman prison where he likely spent a number of cold and hungry nights.
In Philippians 4, Paul commands the Philippian church to be careful what they think about and to deliberately feed their mind all that is good, true, and beautiful (Philippians 4:8 NIV). A few verses later, he writes about how he’s learned to be content in all situations through a relationship with Christ that strengthened him (Philippians 10:13 NIV).
Gentlemen, there are a few key lessons for us to learn about standing against our materialistic culture:
- Consider your mental diet: What have you been thinking about lately? How much is your mind fixated on more of the latest or newest stuff? What lies are the shows, podcasts, and ads you take in telling you about where “the good life” is found?
- Learn contentment: Consider how many times more/new things have failed to deliver the abundant life they implicitly promise. Paul’s contentment amidst conditions worse than poverty confronts and entices. Do you want to be a man who could have everything, even if you have nothing?
- Stick close to Christ: Paul didn’t find abundant life by going off the grid or reducing spending. Paul found something he wanted more than freedom or food. He wrote, “I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.” (Philippians 3:8 NIV)
Be careful what you think about. Consider the contentment of a man who had nothing. Are you ready to trade what you can’t keep to gain what you cannot lose?[1]
Above all, remember that we escape materialism by discovering “the surpassing worth of knowing Christ” (Philippians 3:8 NIV).
Prayer: Jesus, help me see the reality of how material things have failed to satisfy. I believe You’ll lead me to abundant life, but I also doubt it sometimes. Have mercy on me and make good on Your promise of abundant life. Amen.
Reflection: Where have you experienced the failure of material things to deliver the abundant life they promised? Where have you experienced the satisfaction of knowing Christ that Paul talked about? What doubts grip you and what holds you back?
[1] Paraphrase of a famous Jim Elliot quote
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