And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. (Philippians 4:8)
I can’t hear a thing, but I feel my wife’s spirit lifting upwards. The humming sound of a plane fill’s the air. With a gentle kiss to her fingers and a salute to the sky, her Daddy Joe comes near… again and again and again. Jo Jo has always been a “Daddy’s Girl.” When her father pasted away, she didn’t cease being one, she simply added thoughts of a her dad in Heaven, to the memories of him that never stop running through her head.
Pictures of her dad adorn our house at every turn. When she picks up her phone his smile lights up the screen. Daddy Joe is everywhere to see; the planes, the photos, the racquets and balls. To her, the memories of him are as vivid as the most glorious sunset. Her thoughts are often fixed on her Dad, and that in itself is truly pure, lovely and admirable. I love how my wife, in her own special way, honors what’s excellent and worthy in her life.
We have a couple of Bibles in the house. Well, maybe more than a couple, we could probably play a good game of Jenga with them. In the kitchen on the countertop, sits a bottle of wine, flanked by communion cups ready to roll. On the walls, there are enough Christian crosses to put down a vampire uprising. The tools of a Christian are everywhere to be found.
How do you honor a Father you don’t see every day? A Father that didn’t kiss you good morning or tie your shoes. One that didn’t tote you to tennis practices, or teach you to play… A Father, who’s image is not from a camera, but from some artist’s best guess.
Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:9)
The apostle Paul said; You honor The Father, by putting into practice, everything you learned from Him while using everything He provided you…honor God through your actions.
Don’t let The Bibles on your shelves or the crosses on your walls go to waste. They are as useless as a white crayon if you don’t put them to work. Meditate on the cross. It’s the symbol of our salvation, and all of what Jesus has done. Find a way to etch it’s Glory into your brain. Try developing visualization techniques, using the image of the cross, and then let that image influence everything you do.
Pick up The Bible and use it as a tool. Read it, meditate on it, swing it, thump it, do what ever you need to do, to learn it’s truth and abide in its commands. Honor the Lord in everything you do and in how you do it.
My wife honor’s her Daddy Joe every time she see’s a plane, because that’s what he taught her. He was a pilot, and when a plane flew above he was looking up. That’s where he wanted to be….Today she does, as she saw him do then. Just as she honor’s God by abiding His commands. God honors her obedience by sending an angel in the sky. Daddy Joe is in those planes — it’s plane to see.
God blesses us and gives us all that we need; Planes and sunsets, Bibles and crosses, memories and angels…… Jenga and white crayons.
Take God’s blessings and tools and use them as you practice all you’ve been taught… focus your thoughts on things that are excellent and worthy. Look up to Heaven and acknowledge when your angels come near. When you do, you also honor The Lord with your worship and praise.
Fix your thoughts on your Father and think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. (Philippines 4:8)
In Jesus name we pray – Amen
“I tell you the Truth”