4:8
What we do with our bodies matters, but so also does what we do with our minds. So here we are encouraged to think about things that are noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable or praiseworthy. The world often encourages us to think about things that are the exact opposite of these things. Now Paul is not advocating some form of escapism. Paul himself was in prison, and was often beaten up. Paul knew how cruel life could be. But we need to focus on good stuff.
4:9
Paul then encourages them to make the most of anything they have learned from Paul, or things they have seen him put into practice. Earlier on in this letter Paul made it clear that he did not think he had achieved perfection, but that does not mean he has learned anything! This should be true of all of us. There should be somethings in our lives that others can learn from. Learning the peace of God is not just a mental exercise, we also achieve it by doing.
No comments:
Post a Comment