Dave’s Monday Blast – July 22, 2019
Do you thrive on words of encouragement? Words of affirmation from family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, employers, etc, all help determine the “climate” of our days. The Apostle Paul made it clear that we should not let any “corrupting talk” spew forth from our mouths, but only such as is good for edification or encouragement (Ephesians 4:29). I thrive on good words and I know others do as well. I try to remind myself at all times that my time spent with people must be meaningful. Do people feel loved and lifted up after we are together or do they feel used and diminished? Dr. Steven Graves calls this “Above-the-Line Thinking”.
In his letter to the Philippians, the Apostle Paul writes, “Finally, brothers and sister, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable…if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise…dwell on these things” (4:8). Other translations close with the phrase “think on these things” or “consider these things.” Although this is how an “Above-the-Line Thinker” operates when controlled by the Spirit of God, sometimes we think “Below-the-Line”.
The question my friends is this: “Are you a person who has disciplined yourself to be an above-the-line thinker or have you developed persistent below-the-line muscles?” The Philippians passage plainly exhorts us to spend our time above the line.
Graves comments, “Paul is not saying that below-the-line things don’t exist. Much of life is not praiseworthy or true. Much of it is below the line. So, the question becomes, what do I do with the below-the-line stuff? This stuff tends to have a gravitational energy that is unmatched. If we focus on the negative stuff that becomes our storyline. The above-the-line material actually gets harder to find. We get stuck in negative.”
The solution to this truth is to focus on the positive. Sounds like Philippians! The interesting thing in all this, of course, is that whatever I choose to focus on, I will reap what I’ve sowed. When I dwell on the failures of others, I’m the one who gets dragged down, not them. Conversely, when I consider their good qualities, and what they offer, I’m the big winner. Someone once said, “Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.” Above-the-line thinking really can transform. Consider Romans 12:1 & 2, “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” We can only renew our minds by meditating upon and obeying the Word of God. This is a very INTENTIONAL act of spiritual service!
