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Ruminations (2)
As we noted in last week’s article, the apostle Paul exhorted the brethren in Philippi to “meditate on” the things that would help them to maintain a spiritual mind and draw them closer to God (Phil. 4:8, 9). We looked last week at “whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure,” and “whatever things are lovely”; let us continue the study to consider those things we should be meditating on, with the aim of being the disciples God would have us be.
Whatever Things Are of Good Report. The Greek word translated into this phrase “of good report” literally means ‘well said’ or ‘well spoken.’ Essentially, this is saying we should be thinking on things that are reputable, and for which none could criticize or accuse. The NASB translates it as “whatever is of good repute,” and the ESV translates it as “whatever is commendable.” For the general populace, that might include kindness, concern for the poor and needy, love of one another, honesty, justice, and such like; but for Christians, in particular, that must include meditating on the things that would cause others to conclude we are living up to the higher standards of God’s ways, and must necessarily include sexual and moral purity, faithfulness to God and to one another, faithfulness in the marriage relationship, humility, and anything that would reflect the word of God as the driving force and foundation for all we do, believe, and teach. As with all of these things, it is when we “meditate on” them that we begin to implement these things into our lives and begin practicing them.
It is “these things” that will make and maintain a good reputation even amongst our critics. Peter points to such a way of life when he admonished the early disciples, “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation” (1 Pet. 2:11, 12). When we live an exemplary life, even those who oppose us will have no cause for criticism when they examine our lives.
If There is Any Virtue. God did not intend this to be a comprehensive list of the things we should meditate on, and to that end Paul writes this. The Greek word infers excellence and, particularly, moral excellence. In other words, disciples of Jesus Christ should be meditating on the things that make them a better person, better disciple, better spouse, better parent, better son or daughter, better citizen, better student, better member of a local church — whatever or whoever we happen to be or aspire to be in this earthly life. Of all people on earth, Christians should be people of excellence!
To make this point, consider Paul’s words to the Christians at Thessalonica; to them, he wrote, “as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk)” (1 Thess. 4:1; NASB). I take that excerpt from that verse to first note that Paul had given them instruction as to how they were to live, and he noted they were doing exactly that. But, Paul then exhorted them, “brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus… that you excel still more.” Were they doing exactly what they should have been doing, and living as they should? Yes! But could they still improve and do more? Also, Yes! He says the same thing later about their love for one another: “Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia” (1 Thess. 4:9, 10); he then adds, “But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more.” Regarding our lives as disciples of Jesus Christ, no matter what we are doing as we faithfully follow Him, we can and should be always striving to do better and to do more; we should always be striving for excellence. Heaven will not be populated with mediocre servants of God! Let us “meditate on” those things that are excellent.
If There is Anything Praiseworthy. This Greek word also means the things that are commendable, so I won’t belabor the point already made when discussing the things “of good report,” but as previously noted, this is not meant to be a comprehensive list, so anything else not mentioned here that would qualify should be among the things we “meditate on.” Let us be cautioned, however, that the things men sometimes praise — cleverness, deceit, and superficial traits such as beauty and human wisdom — are not the kind of things we should be meditating on. The kind of praise we should receive is that which coincides with an upright, faithful life that demonstrates righteousness and holiness and sincere service to God (Titus 2:11, 12).
Learning by Example. Paul concluded this set of instruction by then exhorting the brethren, “The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you” (Phil. 4:9). The exhortation here is to remember what they had been taught by Paul [i.e., the word of God], but to also pay attention to, remember, and to imitate the things they saw in Paul’s personal life as a disciple of Jesus Christ. This exhortation is similar to the simple exhortation he gave to the Corinthians: “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1).
Learning by example is one of those things just about every human being has done and which many continue to do. As infants and toddlers, we watch the ‘big people’ and learn to walk; we learn from them how to talk; we learn how to behave [or, in some cases, misbehave]. As we get older, we start learning from our peers, classmates, and fellow employees [not always good, either]. Throughout life, we tend to look at others to learn what is acceptable in the society in which we live, and Paul’s exhortation points to that, but He is exhorting the brethren to learn from a better example than the world!
For those still learning [which is all of us], this points to the need for disciples to learn from examples and not necessarily learning ‘the hard way’ or by thinking we have to personally experience every part of life to know what is right and good. As someone once said, “Learn from the mistakes of others; you can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.” It is for this reason we look into God’s written word and learn from both the good and bad examples — follow the good and avoid the bad. To this end, Paul reminds us, “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope” (Rom. 15:4); and, “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition” (1 Cor. 10:11). Let us learn from their examples, and let us be admonished to not follow in the steps of those who were displeasing to God.
As we conclude this short study, let us again be reminded that we “meditate on these things” and do the things we have learned from God’s word and from the good examples of other faithful disciples, simultaneously avoiding their counterparts or opposites. We cannot fill our minds with the good things and the bad and expect to speak and act in ways that God approves; likewise, we cannot follow both the good and bad examples we observe and expect to be pleasing to God.
What are you thinking? — Steven Harper
