Express Yourself!

Philippians 4:8 (NIV)


My guess is that when God inspired these words in Philippians, He knew that whatever one dwells on, one ends up expressing. You know how it is–whatever you ponder in your heart and mind eventually makes it to your lips.

And so it is incredibly important to consider what you ponder. Do you marinate a certain frustrating encounter that ends up creating or feeding an anger and intolerance for that other person in your heart? Do you find yourself ruminating over someone’s words or actions to the point of getting really fired up about getting even or at least getting a good dig in?

I hate it when I fall into that trap!

If dwelling on false, lowly, wrong, impure, ugly, repulsive, imperfect, or unworthy things is tripping you up, make a conscientious choice to focus your thoughts on other things.  Having a hard time doing this on your own? Ask God to help you and He certainly will!

And as you express yourself, consider your words and the example they set. Encouraging words in this day and age are like a precious bloom amidst some weeds–so refreshing!

Lord,   Teach me to measure my words and to consider dwelling, truly dwelling, on Your Word alone!

Pondering takes Time

Ponder: 1: to weigh in the mind 2: to deliberate about 3: to muse over, to think or consider especially quietly, soberly, and deeply. Webster, 1965.

With all of the communication and noise and business of the day, we actually have to be intentional about pondering anything. It seems like we don’t have any time. But it is important to set aside time to ponder, particularly the things of God. I have included several Bible verses to get you started though you may already have some you are in the midst of pondering. Write them on an index card and keep them close by so if you have a moment to think, they might be available to you. I chose the New International Version but feel free to look at several translations to get a larger sense of the meaning of the passage. This is all a part of the pondering process.






Ponder. Savor. Mull it over. Let God imprint it on your heart. How might God be speaking to you today through His Word?

One of my favorite things about God is when I am reading a Bible passage I have read a bunch of times and a word or phrase strikes me… it’s as if God bolded it to get my attention.  That doesn’t always happen, but there are times it does. And if I am in a hurry or I am tackling Scripture like a job, I can easily breeze by those words or phrases He just might want me to ponder.

Is there a particular verse you have pondered and would recommend to others? Please consider adding it as a comment to this post. There is so much wisdom in Scripture it is often hard to find a starting point. Sharing Scripture is a way to cement it in your mind as well as encourage a fellow traveler on the journey!