Rick Osborn | Life Coach, Nutrition Consultant & Graphic Designer

These are the apostle Paul’s inspired words of encouragement for those of us who tend to get bogged down in the muck and mire of everyday existence. They come from a profound understanding that for those who have a true faith in God – that He will watch over and protect – no matter what’s going on in your life. To give you the full context of this passage, I’ll quote it below. It comes from Philippians 4: 4-9. It’s one of my favorite biblical passages. I’ll quote it from the Amplified Bible, as it tends to explain certain terms by defining them in parentheses.

4 Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, gladden yourselves in Him]; again I say, Rejoice!

5 Let all men know and perceive and recognize your unselfishness (your considerateness, your forbearing spirit). The Lord is near [He is close].

6 Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.

7 And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Also, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them].

9 Practice what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and model your way of living on it, and the God of peace (of untroubled, undisturbed well-being) will be with you.

For those of us who have a particular problem with focusing on the negative (ah, that would be me), I bolded verse 8. I find that if I keep that particular passage in the forefront of my mind, that it’s easier to traverse difficult moments during the day. It’s a way that I can proactively affect my life. I must continuously remind myself that there’s no place in my mind and life for the negative. The only thing negativity does is propagate more negative, stress and anxiety. Does the phrase “sick with worry” sound familiar?

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Join me today in meditating upon the truths that are written above. If we practice them, then I truly believe and know that God’s peace (as stated above in vs. 7), which truly does pass all understanding, will pervade our hearts and minds – even through the difficulties that we are facing.

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I woke up this morning with the following on my mind and in my heart. I felt it important to share with you. It may seem simple in light of my usual longer blogs, but the profound nature of this scripture can and will change a life . . .

“Praise the LORD
Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
His love endures forever.

Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the LORD
or fully declare his praise?

Blessed are they who maintain justice,
who constantly do what is right.”

Psalm 106:1-3

Quite simply, what you can take from this passage are three very practical steps that will revolutionize your life:

1. Praise God.
2. Be thankful - no matter what your circumstance, for this is God’s will (see I Thess. 5:18).
3. Do what’s right.

I won’t get long-winded here and elaborate on these things for they are quite simple.  But, let me just say, if you’re in the midst of difficulty, adversity, trial or tribulation - take heart, because God has a plan for your life - if you’re in relationship with Him.  If you have a right relationship with the Father through Jesus His Son, the above three steps will keep your path straight and your focus on target.

My prayer for us all is that we might live accordingly.

God bless you today!

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Many times, small decisions can have big consequences. Living without understanding, moving beyond boundaries, operating without knowing the truth, making choices without conviction - all can get you into trouble. Up front and out loud, let me get straight to the point -

Look before you leap!

Watch your step!

Guard your heart!

There, enough said. If I thought that just mentioning these clichés would keep someone from making stupid decisions, I’d stop right here. Unfortunately, most of us are hard headed and willful, myself included. The cruel truth of the matter is that many times it’s the bad choices that we make, along with their unpleasant consequences that teach us the best and most valuable lessons in life.

We’ve got to be vigilant, watchful, careful, guarded, etc. with the decisions that we make every day. One misplaced step - one wrong decision - one unfiltered calculation can land us in the mud and even destroy our lives. So, how do we know? How do we keep from falling into a pit in the midst of life?

The answer lies in our filter. My question for you is - what kind of filter do you have?

Picture for a moment the best cup of coffee that you’ve ever had. Pouring hot water through savory, fresh, roasted coffee grinds produces a rich aromatic brew of coffee that engages the brain and body. If you’re like me, there’s nothing like enjoying a great cup of coffee in the morning. But, imagine for a moment what that cup would taste like without using the right filter. It would either be too weak, too strong - full of grounds and taste like gritty mud - not too appetizing.

This is much of what our lives are like when we don’t use the right filter. A filter is used to keep out the bad stuff. It’s that simple. If we simply allow anything in, then our lives become polluted, sludgy, messy, stinky, filthy with severe consequences that we’ll have to struggle to overcome. Even worse is the fact that our bad decisions and involvements can negatively affect others, especially those whom we love.

Now, I’ll ask you again. What kind of filter are you using for your life? Do you even have one? Have you ever even thought about what you’ve allowed into your life? Furthermore, how is it affecting you? How’s it affecting the ones that you love?

Even if you have a filter, it’s a worthy question to be asked. Examine it, try it and test it. Make sure it’s the right one for you - the best one that will help you move positively forward from this point onward. It may be that you’re dealing with circumstances as a result of not having a filter or of using a faulty one.

Use God as your Filter

The first step towards putting the right filter in place is to understand the truth about yourself and your situation in relation to God’s wisdom.

Christ stated in John 8:31-32, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

My Suggestions for Adjusting Your Filter:

1. Ask God to reveal His truth to you on a daily basis.
2. Seek to know God in a personal way through prayer and studying His word.
3. Pray that God will transform you with His truth and wisdom.
4. As you learn more about God, allow Him to transform your life, creating the right FILTER for you.
5. Rest in the fact that you’re protected daily, because your choices and decisions are in line with God’s truth - a filter that He created because He knows what’s best for us.

Before your life leads you somewhere you don’t want to be, check your filter. Learn God’s truth, apply it to your life and live in freedom.

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