Thinking about thinking

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8

You probably take a bit of trouble thinking about what you feed into your body. And rightly so – we keep hearing about an obesity epidemic, or about harmful substances which are added to our food and which we probably know nothing about. We may not feel any immediate effects after we eat, but the chances are it’s only a matter of time.

Some people, of course, turn healthy eating almost into an obsession, a mini-religion. I get rather fed up (if that’s the right expression) with a continuous flow of newspaper articles recommending one diet after another. “Everything in reason!” I want to shout. “Stop bullying me! I’ve got enough to worry about as it is!” (Are these the kind of people who Paul described, in KJV days, Romans 16:18, as “serving their own belly”?)

Well, that’s as may be. But where I want to go is – not food for the body, but food for the mind. This, surely, is far more important. You accommodate your body for a certain number of years, and then it is gone and decays. Yes, it’s important, and in fact it’s part of a Christian’s responsibility to look after it (see the startling and sobering words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 6:19). But what about your mind? What about the untold millions of words, thoughts, ideas, memories and images which we all tuck away without so much as thinking about it day by day? Are they wholesome? Healthy? Or are they the mental equivalent of junk food?

Paul has a habit of introducing lists into his letters: the most striking are probably Galatians 5:19-21 (“the works of the flesh”) and Galatians 5:22-23 (“the fruit of the Spirit”). But Philippians 4:8 doesn’t come far behind. Paul tells us what qualities and characteristics we should “think about” as a matter of course; in other words, he tells us about what kind of food we should be feeding into our minds.

His list has a slightly old-fashioned feel – “noble”, “admirable”, “excellent” (note please, not “incredible” or “fantastic” or “amazing”, words which in recent years have had all the juice sucked out of them through overuse). But that simply gives it an enhanced dignity and impressiveness. If you’re anything like me, you read these words and they have the effect of a beautiful warm shower: cleansing, reviving and invigorating. Or, to change the image, they call to mind some dear fellow-Christian who may well have been dead for 20 years – yet who, like Abel, ”still speaks” (Hebrews 11:4), such was the impact they made on you.

Such a person is reliable, trustworthy and solid, though not without humour (oh no, not without humour!). A person who you instinctively feel you’d like to model yourself on; a person who has made a significant difference to your life not so much by anything they have said but just by being who they are.

In a world where words and ideas are constantly flying around at breathless speed, pouring out at us from the television or the internet, people like this are desperately needed. They steady us and bring us back to base; they help to anchor us when we seem to have no stability; there is no shallowness in them.

A big problem about the food we put into our minds is that very often we absorb it without even realising what’s happening. Sit down and eat a meal and you know exactly what you’re doing; how can you not? But food for the mind comes creeping in often by a process of unnoticed infiltration: a newspaper headline; a slogan; a television programme that you’re only half-watching; something off the internet; a book that will only waste your time. And that’s why it needs watching.

James – ever the practical man – tells us that “Religion that is pure and faultless is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep yourself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27). A big ask, that; but a vital part of becoming like Jesus.

Is it time to pause and reflect: what kind of food do I allow into the private sanctum of my mind?

Father, the beautiful world you have made has been tragically spoiled and corrupted, and we, to whom you have given the precious gift of life, are part of that corruption. Thank you for the word of Jesus, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness…” Please give me a true desire to be “filled”. Amen.