Meditation

"Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praise-worthy -- meditate on these things." - PHIL 4:8

I am very lured to talk about the incessant corruption evident in the current events. From companies that treat people like cattle to government corruption to the media that amplifies it.

I hate to admit, but when there's a bad accident I'm drawn to see what happened. When work becomes stressful, I begin to concentrate on how stressful work is. This clouds my judgment from seeing obvious solutions to the problem.

I've been called a worry-wort and a wet-blanket amongst other things. There are many others out there who also mount worry and complaining in the halls of their daily living. They are like trophies. That's not what God calls me to be.

We could ask why and go into some Freudian explanation just to explain it away, but that still focuses on problems.

In Disney's movie "Pollyanna", Philippians 4:8 becomes a pivotal element several times. The pastor is discouraged and dis-enlightened, a man is frustrated with the political corruption, one woman has a fixation on death, another on sadness, another on herself, and finally Pollyanna becomes fixated on her crippled condition.

Taking the lesson from the Bible, when I'm discouraged I should look for something to be glad about rather than complain.

I shouldn't let discouragement build to the point of anxiety. The verses leading up to Philippians 4:8 explain how we should deal with anxiety - by bringing it to God. God is then said to bring peace - not solutions.

Like any good doctor a prognosis is mentioned with the cure to go with the medicine. Am I anxious? Bring it to God and get some peace. Chances are I'm anxious because there's a focus on the wrong things. Change the focus and my condition will change with it.