Paul says, “whatever is lovely . . . think about these things.” In a world full of tragedy and pain, sin and ungodliness, disappointment and sorrow, our eyes and hearts ache from all we see and feel. We are not ignoring what exists around us when we heed the Biblical instruction to think about other things. When we apply some healing ointment to a wound, we are not denying the injury or accident that caused the wound. We are choosing to find some healing. We can think about more than the noise.
If today we are thinking about “whatever is lovely,” what immediately pops into your head? Do you see pictures of a family member or a friend? Or, has your mind presented a lovely outdoors scene of flowers, landscapes, beaches, or mountains. Lovely things! I sometimes think of unhealthy, lovely things like a hamburger, deep dish pizza, or steaks on a grill. Lovely things!
We can go deeper in our thoughts about lovely things as we remember beautiful moments in our lives: loving moments, peaceful moments, relaxing moments, encouraging moments, and celebration moments. Beautiful things! I hope we can also think about beautiful, memorable moments in our relationship with God. The experience of receiving His grace, mercy, and forgiveness. The mountain top experiences when we saw His strength, power, and beauty. The worshipful moments when God touched us deeply and we felt his nearness and love. The realization moments when God answered a prayer in a powerful and unexpected way. Lovely things!
There are lovely things all around us. We can grow so accustomed to thinking about everything that is wrong that we can’t see what is right. We lose ability to see loveliness. We lose sight of God. Look around right now. Open your eyes. What lovely things do you see? Ask God to reveal them to you. Acknowledge them. Name them. Thank God for them. And thank God for the ability to still see them. “Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; Sing praises to His name, for it is lovely” (Psalm 135:3).