Being Christ-like by Autumn

I was asked to meditate on this scripture and write my thoughts. “And 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. 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

It is important for me to keep my mind and thoughts pure and my words gracious and kind. First, because as Christians, we are supposed to act as Jesus did and set a good example. Also because people that don’t know or want to get to know God better are watching me. I believe if my mind and thoughts are pure, my words will be more kind and loving so I will most likely get that back from people I come in contact with. Thinking and talking this way must start with me because I am responsible for myself and not anyone else. Also, I believe one negative person can spread and infect a whole group of people and I wouldn’t want to get other people thinking or talking that way. Then someone might say, “Oh, she’s Christian and look how she’s acting,” and then have a bad opinion of Christians, which wouldn’t please Jesus. I also think that if you generally have a more positive attitude and thoughts, not only do you feel better throughout the day, but others feel this.  Proverbs 11:27 says, “Anyone can find the dirt in someone; be the one that finds the gold.” If people, including myself, lived and interacted with others while thinking that way, we would have a lot less horrific school shootings and massacres. Verse 17 says, “You feel better on the inside when you are kind, but you destroy yourself when you are cruel.” I must also think about the power my words hold and not gossip about others. Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in this when there are negative people around, but Proverbs 25:18 reminds me, “Telling lies about others is as harmful as hitting them with an ax, wounding them with a sword, or shooting them with an arrow.” This I know, fixing my thoughts on what is pure, kind and lovely is important not only for myself, my soul, and my home environment, but also for my community so that I can be a positive light to others while setting a good example as a follower of Jesus.