Again I Say: Take Account

Rev. Matt Tuggle | Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide.

We're all keeping score. Naturally, we are creating a daily curated account of what our lives look like and what we tend to dwell on. Whether that is a conscious decision or an unconscious one, what we dwell on directly affects our daily account. And what we do with our account of life has everything to do with whether or not we can live lives of "rejoicing."

In Philippians 4:8, Paul encourages us to focus on “whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, pleasing, and commendable.” In this passage, Paul intentionally repeats the word “whatever” to slow us down and emphasize each quality individually. These are not just positive-sounding words but specific things that deserve our attention. 

Turning our focus onto the good things is not an invitation to ignore problems or pretend everything is okay. We as Christians are still called to address difficult situations honestly, but we should not allow negativity to become our primary focus. 

Because we believe that Jesus has already won the ultimate victory, we can face hardships while still returning our attention to what is good, true, just, and honorable.