Philippians 4:8-9

I know I typed these two verses up a couple posts ago, but it is probably worth going over again. There's a lot to really dig into within these two sentences.

"Finally, my friends, keep your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly and proper. Don't ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise. You know the teachings I gave you, and you know what you heard me say and saw me do. So follow my example. And God, who gives peace, will be with you." Philippians 4:8-9

Goodness, these two verses are packed with a lot. And, it is very convicting if you look at these qualities in the terms of relationships: the character you have, the character of the company you keep, and the quality of the relationships you keep.

If you're jaded, tired, or feeling beaten down, these sentences may be hard to accept or adopt. But, there's hope in these words. "God, who gives peace, will be with you." I want that peace. I want the kind of genuine peace that only God can give. Sadly enough, as a person who grew up in the church, I should already know this. When we embody these qualities being true, pure, right, holy, friendly and proper, we become more Christ-like and we can experience a deeper level of peace and ultimately a deeper relationship with God.

So, why don't I do this? Well, mostly because it's easier for me to not face these issues. Instead, I delve into distractions and find other hiding places to provide artificial and temporary comforts. It's also MUCH easier to point out others who don't possess these qualities instead of worrying about if I, myself, have these qualities. It's much easier to complain about what others have done to us or see what others are lacking. Flipping around that perspective -- It's just so much harder for us to take the log out of our eye and see who we really are, examine our own flaws, and possess the change we so badly want to see in others.

That's sad to me. It's time for me to re-examine my priorities. Continue to change my attitude and see the changes that need to happen in my heart and in my decisions, and actions. How often do I focus on truth, purity, righteousness, holiness,friendliness, and propriety? How often is it important for me to seek people who can teach me these qualities? And, do my relationships with people possess these qualities?

The only way I can learn to possess these qualities is through God. I must continue to develop my love and desire to be with Him. I know I can't be these things on my own. I've seen the ugliness that I'm capable of doing, saying, and acting upon when I do things on my own. I pray for God to help me during Lent. I ask Him to help me examine each of these qualities. Find those weak spots inside me. Fill in the love that I honestly am seeking. So, I may find that peace and relationship with God I so badly want.

lots of thoughts swirling and swirling

So, it's been about a week since I've embarked on this project. I've logged in 17.75 miles -- 17 miles from running and 3/4 of mile in swimming. I'm pretty happy about that considering I was suffering from burnout from the half marathon in January and really didn't want to run for a while. The racking up of the miles has been easy, but it's been hard to not sign up for a spring race. If I sign up for a race especially during Lent, I think I would have missed the point of this project.

The goal isn't to train for a race. The point of this project is to invest some time with God. There are two verses that have grabbed my attention that I've been pondering over:

"It's better to enjoy what we have than to always want something else, because that makes more sense than chasing the wind." Ecclesiastes 6:9

"Finally my friends keep your minds on whatever is true, right, holy, friendly, and proper. Don't ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise. You know the teachings I gave you and you know what you heard me say and saw me do. So follow my example. And God who gives peace, will be with you." Philippians 4:8-9

In my next post, I'll talk a little more about them.