Whatever Is True (Post 4 in the Third Chapter Spiritual Disciplines Series)

Now in my sixties, there are many habits I wish I’d established (or improved) earlier in life.

Routine weight training.

Saving money.

Daily sunscreen.

Learning another language.

Watching the BBC network.

But, I have to thank all the cantankerous older Christians in my life for being anti-role models of this next Third Chapter Spiritual Discipline. What I saw in their spirits served as a cautionary tale I’ve taken to heart.

I remember calling my best friend after an exchange with one bitter, fretful older woman and saying, “Let’s agree we’re not going to let bitterness, anger, and worry take over as we age. We’d better start conditioning NOW to keep mindsets that don’t shrivel like dried fruit.”

So began for me, somewhere in my forties, the spiritual discipline of “Whatever is True.”

This comes, of course, from these five verses Paul penned to the Philippians in Philippians 4:4-9:

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”

Words that should be mandatory memorization for everyone over 40. We should have Silver Sneakers classes designed to stretch THESE muscles daily:

Laughter. Joy. Celebration and rejoicing.

Reasonableness.

The capture of anxious thoughts.

Prayer in all things.

Gratitude.

Mental focus on what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise.

Wouldn’t that be an amazing group of senior saints who gathered two or three times a week to exercise those practices? What lights we would be in our homes and communities if these spiritual muscles were toned!

This is a serious battle. The older we get, the more we see, the more we know, the more there is to worry us, create fear and anxiety, or tempt us toward bitterness, anger, and regret. 

Somehow I imagined that my children reaching adulthood would be some sort of finish line where I could stop worrying. Instead, they began to make adult decisions with adult consequences. They began to expand the number of loved ones in my world through marriage and children and in-laws. Instead of having fewer opportunities for fretfulness, my opportunities multiplied!

And, of course, the world has gone mad. So, there’s that.

My friend, Dr. Johnny Parker, says, “We don’t bump into better. We don’t wander into wellness.” With the state of the world, the sin nature in us and our loved ones, and the challenges of getting older, we are MORE likely to let our minds fill with worry, fear, regret, anxiety, and anger unless we’re intentional about replacing those thoughts with godly concerns.

God tells us where to actively place our thinking – Rejoicing. Reasonableness. Prayer. Gratitude. Examining and confronting anxious thoughts. Mental focus on whatever is true.

It’s never too early to make this spiritual discipline a habit. There is no downside to these mental activities. And here’s the outcome. Thoughts inspire feelings that incite actions.

Wouldn’t you rather experience feelings and initiate actions from a mind grounded in joy, reasoning, gratitude, prayer and truth than from fear, anxiety, deception, regret, and anger? I agree.

So, start today. 

Make a daily choice to celebrate something in your world. Invite others to celebrate with you.

Spend time in God’s Word and with teachers who preach with reasonableness.

Invite Jesus to help you examine your anxious thoughts and then pray about each of them.

Write three gratitude statements every day.

Search each day for what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise. Then, tell others what you’ve found.

Honestly, this practice will change your heart, your mind, and the very culture of your home. Invite others to join you and you may just impact the culture of your church or community. I don’t offer many guarantees, but I guarantee this one.

We are sinners in need of saving and we cannot save ourselves, even through acts of goodness or spiritual disciplines. The truth is that Jesus has saved us completely through is death and resurrection. There’s nothing more we need to do but believe with our hearts and confess with our tongues this truth.

Spiritual disciplines don’t save us but they help us be available to God for His work in our hearts, minds, and souls.  I’ve loved exploring spiritual disciplines all my life but as I grow older, I find there are some I need to add. I wrote about that in Third Chapter Spiritual Disciplines. I then explored Intentional Community and Embrace New Ways, People, and Experiences.

What are your thoughts? I respond to every comment and reply to every email. Are there spiritual disciplines you’d like to add? How are other spiritual disciplines changing for you? Are fasting and solitude easier? Are there new barriers to reading God’s Word or to prayer? Is living simply easier but giving harder? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

30-day challenge: Try the five suggestions in this post for the next 30-days and PLEASE let me know its impact on you. I’m going to try the challenge as well! Let’s explore a more godly mindset together. 

Are you looking for a pathway out of anxiety, fear, anger, worry, and regret? Here it is! https://t.co/5Wv9HUaNPU #Jesus #Bible

— Lori Roeleveld (@lorisroeleveld) May 25, 2023