How to Fix Our Thinking By Ed McDowell

Paul invites each of us to fix our thinking. Are you ready?

“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.”

Philippians 4:8 NLT

Reflection

Paul gives us a list to help us focus our thinking on what matters. Consider the questions below and evaluate the priorities and patterns of your own thinking.

• Is it true?
• Is it honorable?
• Is it right?
• Is it pure?
• Is it lovely?
• Is it admirable?
• Is it excellent?
• Is it worthy of praise?

What adjustments do you need to make in your thinking? Are there things you need to stop focusing on because they are moving you in the wrong direction? What do you need to replace bad thinking with?

Fixing our thinking by focusing it on the right things is intentional work. It takes discipline to stop taking in destructive content.

It’s not enough to remove what is bad. We need to replace it with things that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and worthy of praise.

Encouragement

I drive a gas-powered car, and I’ve learned how vital oil is to the engine. It is the “lifeblood” that keeps things running smoothly as the engine produces power under high heat and friction.

In the pressurized environment of engine life, the oil becomes dirty and loses its effectiveness. I need to change the dirty oil for clean oil regularly.

Under life’s pressures, our thoughts work the same way. Without regularly replacing the impure and dirty with the clean and pure, our lives become diminished and less effective.

Let the Holy Spirit come and renew our minds, filling them with all that is good. Let God’s word permeate what we dwell on and inform what we avoid.

An Invitation

Paul invites us to follow his example:

“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 4:9 NLT

Just as clean oil keeps an engine running well, putting this into practice keeps our minds clear and our lives full of God’s peace.

Today’s Challenge

Identify one input in your life that needs to be changed out this week, and decide what good thing you will replace it with.

Prayer

Dear Jesus,

Thank you for Paul’s words here.

Please, as we follow you, fix our thinking on what is helpful and good.

Help us to respond by putting in the work, intentionally stepping away from toxic thought patterns, and becoming more diligent about the things that reflect you.

Thank you that the Holy Spirit is with us, leading and guiding us in this.

We love you today.

In your name, Jesus, we pray,

Amen

The Gift of a Song

“Whatever Is True “

Phil. 4:8

This song sets Philippians 4:8 to music and carries the same call to fix our thoughts on what is true, honorable, and pure. Listen to it as a reminder to replace the dirty with the clean and let God’s peace fill your mind. Now enjoy this song:

Whatever is True.

Ed McDowell is the CEO of Warm Beach Camp Ministries. He also coaches and consults on board leadership and development, bringing fresh perspectives to perplexing situations. Ed authorizes a devotional series titled A Well-Planted Faith in an Uprooted Culture. His writing and speaking challenge people to let God’s Word inform how they live. Ed and his wife, Bev, live on Camano Island, Washington, where they live out their mission statement: “To give our lives away for the cause of Jesus Christ to as many people as possible. “

Everyone needs a time to renew! Join us on April 6-8, 2027