January 28: Insight Post by Rusty Coram
Wednesday Insight Post
by Rusty Coram
One of Becky’s and my favorite things to do is camping. In the early days, it was with a tent, but over the past few years, we’ve used a small RV – not hard-core camping at all, but more like “glamping!” Regardless of how you do it, one important thing is to pick a camp spot that is level, safe, and near resources. Our verse today has something like this in mind,
“8And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:8–9 (NLT)
When it says “fix your thoughts,” the image of a campsite comes to my mind. The idea is to have your thoughts focused on things that help you get centered with a good perspective, a place that reminds you of what is true, no matter what is going on in the world around you. The primary focus for those who know Jesus needs to be God’s truth in the Bible. Like a safe and protected campsite, God’s word keeps our minds and hearts in a good place where we can be refreshed and ready to face whatever comes our way. Having a list of God’s promises at hand and memorizing specific ones really helps me keep my mind “fixed.” An example of one that has been a constant companion of mine over the past few weeks is this:
“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” Isaiah 26:3 (NLT)
I revisit this often and work to make this my mental campground.
Rusty Coram
Senior Pastor
New Hope Church
Lorton, Virginia
www.newhope.org