FRANKLIN LIVING—

Love thinks excellent thoughts! Even though we sometimes have negative thoughts run through our minds, we all know instinctively that love thinks excellent thoughts. In Philippians 4:8, the Holy Spirit encourages us through Paul to align our thoughts with God’s thoughts – loving thoughts, thoughts that seek what’s best for others and thoughts that dwell on lifting other people up to their greatest potential.

What if our approaches to marriage, family and relationships were all grounded in love? How could love transform our workplace or our classrooms? God knows that our thoughts drive our actions, so He calls us to think lovely thoughts! He tells us love is patient, kind and hopeful. Love endures through difficulty and rejoices when the truth wins out!    

Isn’t the greatest and ultimate freedom we possess the ability to decide what will occupy our minds? Nobody can take your thoughts from you, so we each must decide what we will focus our thinking on.

If we’ve allowed negative, sinful thoughts to reign in our hearts, we should repent and be reminded of God’s love for each of us. If our thoughts aren’t compelling us to serve others in love, then our thoughts aren’t really aligned with God’s thoughts! Let’s engage our greatest freedom to think loving thoughts and to spread His love top anyone we can influence.

God is a God of love, and He keeps records of rights, Revelation 14:13 – but too often, we do the opposite. If we strive to think like Jesus, we will treasure His word in our hearts and His word will produce faith, hope and love in our lives. Instead of remembering all the “wrongs” of others, why not try to keep up with your own “rights” – the things you do out of love for others? What if we, like the Lord, look for what’s best in others, seeking to build them up in love? We each have that opportunity every time God blesses us with another day!      

Love thinks excellent thoughts – it dwells on the opportunities God gives us to serve and to love others. Love keeps a record of rights, seeking opportunities to repeat the good in the lives of others. Love does!

Trae Durden has been the preaching minister at North Highlands church of Christ in Russellville since January 2013. He is married to Leann Durden, and they have a daughter, Darcy Grace, and a son, Dalton.