As I continue in Philippians 4:8, as you see by the title, the word is lovely. We have many ideas of lovely. We admire beauty in people, places, things. Temporal. This picture above in four months will be slushie ice, mud and bare trees. Yet, we can find lovely here as well.
Short side note, had a receptionist recently, after my comments about the heat, tell me she made up her mind to never complain about the weather. (You’ll notice her reaction to my comments..) I must have looked at her like she had two heads, because she followed with, it has really helped!
In short, she set her mind on her focus. It wasn’t going to be complaining. I had all sorts of “buts” in my head. She hasn’t been through menopause. Maybe she’s dating a weatherman. Maybe her body just doesn’t react to weather like mine. Haha. Finally, I had to realize the reason my defenses were alerted was because all about me. Her response was convicting. She set her mind.
What I have been doing these last weeks, only posting once a week, means this has been unsettling my comfort level. I am paying attention to my thoughts much more than usual. If you were to see me in my car or out on a walk, oftentimes I literally throw my hand out to say stop. No further. This line of thoughts is not true, honorable, just or pure. Let’s define our next word.
Lovely: luv’-li (‘ahabh, ‘ahebh; prosphiles): “Lovely” occurs only 4 times. In 2Sa 1:23 it is the translation of ‘ahebh, “to be loved” (“Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant (the King James Version margin “sweet”) in their lives”), where it seems to mean “loving” or “lovable.” Two other words are so translated in the Old Testament: machmadch, “desire” a “desirable thing” (So 5:16, “He is altogether lovely,” that is, “lovable,” “to be desired,” literally, “all of him lovableness,” or “desirableness”); ‘aghabhim “loves,” or “charms” (Eze 33:32, “Thou art unto them as a very lovely song,” the King James Version margin “a song of loves,” the Revised Version margin “a love-song”; in 33:31 the same word is translated “much love,” the King James Version margin “They make loves or jests”); in Php 4:8 we have prosphiles, “very lovely,” or “lovable,” “whatsoever things are lovely.”
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia by W.L.Walker
I spent my time in the concordance and found the entire 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians. And friends, we are back to the heart. It begins here. For if my action/behavior appear lovely, but love does not guide me, I am a nosy gong, clanging symbol. I am nothing. It profits me nothing. And i could literally be speaking the language of angels. have knowledge! Have faith. Prophesy. Give everything i have to the poor. But if I do not have love, it’s meaningless. (1 Corinthians 13: 1-3)
Our hearts are the primary concern here. Paul goes on to define what love is and what it is not. Patient, kind, rejoices with the truth. Bears, believes, hopes, and endures all things. What occurs to me here, this is the definition of our Heavenly Father. Our Father is all of this and so much more. When I stop and ask myself, where are my thoughts? This is obedience to remind myself, the interior life guides the exterior response.
When words such as, I deserve, its fine, no big deal, next time come filtering through my brain, I know i am rationalizing my behavior. And I know the Spirit is speaking, I am deflecting. So, in our lives today, if we see jealousy, bragging, arrogance, seeking our own, provocation, etc, than we know our thoughts.
“Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.”
James 1:13-15 NASB1995
So here I am with all of this on the brain. And I come back to the beginning. Dwell on lovely things. “pleasing, agreeable, lovely” (pros, “toward,” phileo, “to love”), occurs in Phl 4:8. In the Sept., Est 5:1 (3rd sentence).” Dwell my mind towards love. And remember. This is said so flippantly, I know, but the truth remains, God is love.
“Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.”
1 Corinthians 13:8 NASB1995
Walk in love today, friend.
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