1 - Introduction - Living like a real Christian PEACE pt2 | Página 8

to do it, but when the priorities get into disarray, and work interferes with worship, peace will
always be found to decline.
Prayer Thought: We have today highlighted three aspects that can, if they go wrong, lead to a
“peace less” condition. A guilty conscience, a wrong set of values and a corrupted priority list,
are just three things that can cause “peacelessness”. There are, I’m sure, many more. Won’t
you take some time and ask God to reveal any others and, if He does, get straight to work and
deal with them.Then rejoice as you receive, once again,the peace that passes all
understanding.

FRIDAY
Philippians 4 v 8 – 9
When one contemplates the subject of peace, we all too often talkabout a state of mind. It is
this state of mind that will be our subject for today.
One of the principles of life that is out there is simply found in the statement “out of what you
think, you do”. We sometimes fall into the misconception that if we want to change the way
we behave, we need to try harder to change the way we behave. This only leads to
disappointment, disillusionment and deeper despair. The Bible would support the thesis that
simply says, “If you want to change the way you behave, don’t change the way you behave,
but change the way you think.” If change is going to be effective it must always begin in the
mind.
If what I have said above is true, and I believe that it is, then I believe that it is also true to say
that, PEACE IS LOST WHEN INTERNAL THINKING IS CORRUPTED. We therefore, have to
improve the quality of our thinking so that out of that we can change the quality of our
behaviour.
Philippians 4 v 8 – 9 puts, in a nutshell, the things that we should and should not be thinking
about. As I read verse 8 and 9 it almost seems that the apostle Paul is suggesting that we put a
filter on our minds so that the thoughts that eventually arrive in our subconscious thinking are
not corrupted. In verse 7 of the same chapter, Paul speaks of the “Peace of God which
transcends all understanding…” and he says that this peace will “…guard your heart and your
mind in Christ Jesus.” In verse 8 he makes it more practical when he gives us eight filters
through which we should filter the things that we think about. He encourages us to think
about that which is “true” (that means, do not listen to hearsay, or gossip, or public opinion).
He tells us to think about what is “noble”(this means, get your mind out of the gutter, a place
where nobility will never be found). Thirdly, he suggests we think about what is “right”(which
infers that there is so much that is wrong; we need discernment to tell the difference). He