”Whatever is lovely - think about such things.” Philippians 4:8
Expectations are tricky. Our expectations can be too high, causing us to be ungrateful complainers. Others have too low of expectations because they have little hope of anything good ever happening in their lives. There are two types of people who don’t really have any expectations - they are: the simple (unassuming); and those with wisdom (learned their lesson). We certainly want to be in the wise category. To do this we must learn to trust in God and not in man or machine. Fools trust in the latter and not the former. This violates the advice of Isaiah 2:22, which says, ‘stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils.’ If our trust in God is strong, we will think and see better, and our expectations will be just right, helping us to…
STOP FINDING FAULT…
”Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Philippians 2:14-15a
Most people are smart enough to see how ‘this or that’ could’ve been handled differently, ran better, or operated more smoothly. Finding fault with anything is quite easy - if that is your mindset. But what if we chose a different mindset? What if we made an effort to ‘Do everything without grumbling or arguing’? By not finding fault we would rise above our warped culture and we would enjoy life more. God is not manipulated by a complaining spirit - in fact, He hates it. You see, the more we find fault, the more we are at fault, and the more gratitude we lose.
…AND FOCUS ON THE GOOD.
”Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.” Philippians 2:15b-16
Thinking on what is lovely (pleasing) causes us to shine. We will no longer have a sour, crabby, irritable demeanor. Seeing the good reduces negative comments, ‘eye rolls’ and an unbecoming disposition. If we stop finding fault, it will be easier to find what is lovely and become lovely people as well, regardless of our outward appearance. As we ‘hold firmly to the Word of life’, God will shine through us.
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