Philippians 4:8 says “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.”

This passage is often used as a “feel good” passage about positive thinking as those speaking of it encourage us to think happy thoughts and loving thoughts and gentle thoughts. But the words and the connotations of this passage are not all about positivity and happy thoughts.

While Paul is exhorting us to think about whatever is true and noble and right and pure and lovely and admirable and excellent and praiseworthy.… have you ever stopped to think about each of those words and what they really entail?

Whatever is True

Let’s start with “whatever is true.” What things are true? We sometimes want to take the “feel good” truths of God's word and claim those as the only truth: God says to love your neighbor, forgive, submit. And he does say that. But he also says other things that are also true that may seem to contradict the “feel good” truths. But remember this: truths don’t always have to be “this” or “that” - sometimes they can be BOTH/AND. Here are some examples:

It is true that God can do anything AND it’s true that God usually works within the realm of the natural (using natural consequences to shape us rather than supernatural interventions to change us, for example)
It is true that God wants us to forgive (for our sake and for his so that we don’t hold bitterness and so that he can use us effectively to shine his light without bitterness getting in the way) AND it’s also true that there are times that it is not right for us to forgive (as long as we aren’t holding on to bitterness but, rather, are prepared to forgive when someone repents and seeks reconciliation)
It is true that we are to be kind AND it’s also true that sometimes kindness is letting someone experience the consequences of their actions (it helps them learn instead of preventing those learning opportunities)
God says to love AND sometimes love looks like boundaries and consequences
God says to submit AND he says to submit to each other - a concept that puts us on equal ground where we willingly cooperate with each other rather than where one person is over the other

So, just because one thing is true, doesn't mean that something else isn’t. Spend time in God’s Word daily so that you can get to know him and his character, not just the things he says.

Whatever is Noble

Consider the word “noble” - it has its roots in nobility, bringing forth images of royalty and knights on horses, covered with armor and wielding weapons. It’s a word that conjures up strength, courage, and dominion through righteous acts - acts that maintain righteousness, and that suppress evil and allow good to flourish. It’s another BOTH/AND statement: Being noble is about doing what is right AND it’s about taking a stand against evil. You have to be good and strong and courageous in order to be noble.

Whatever is Right

The same can be said for the word “right.” Sometimes we tend to view “doing the right thing” as always doing something that feels nice and accommodating and warm and fuzzy. But doing right means:

resisting wrong
not enabling injustice or oppression (link to justice article)
not settling for indifference or laziness
consistently working to align your life to the natural laws of relationships that God designed in order for things to run smoothly - just like he created laws of physics for things to run smoothly. If you try to break the laws of physics (for example: by jumping off a tall building in an effort to defy the law of gravity), you will get hurt. Likewise, you will get hurt when you try to defy the natural laws of relationships that God designed (the law of sowing and reaping, for example)
It’s not right to show favor to the wicked (Proverbs 26:8 says “Like tying a stone in a sling is the giving of honor to a fool)
It’s not right to let sin go unpunished
It’s not right to try to get someone to have a happy marriage when they clearly aren’t interested in doing what it takes to have a happy marriage

These are hard truths that don’t give out the warm-and-fuzzies.

Whatever is Pure

Let’s move on to the word “pure.” This might elicit thoughts of sexual purity, but the connotation is so much bigger. It’s about being uncontaminated and without evil. You might tend to apply it to not doing bad things or thinking any bad thoughts, but it also extends to not keeping bad company (1Corinthians 15:33 says bad company corrupts good character) and not being yoked to an unbeliever and not participating in the sins of others. Those things corrupt your purity. And they can be difficult to implement - especially if you are close to someone with bad character.

Whatever is Lovely

What about thinking about whatever is lovely? Perhaps it conjures up images of love and romance and beauty. But what if you are in a relationship that does not fit those words - in a relationship where there is a lack of love and romance and beauty? Does that mean you should ignore the lack and just keep imagining loveliness, hoping that pretending will make it so? Certainly not. That would be violating the first word of exhortation in this passage: "whatever is true."

Sometimes what is lovely is being able to be a peacemaker rather than a peacekeeper - it’s those difficult boundaries that can lead to the loveliness of peace. Sometimes what is lovely is stepping away from someone else’s sin so that you can have the energy to give to others. Sometimes what is lovely is a life other than what you have - and to allow that life to be yours, you have to give up the one you have. This is not warm and fuzzy thinking.

Whatever is Admirable

Considered people who are admirable. People who are most admired are people who are balanced and genuine. They aren’t the people who are always nice, the yes-men and yes-women of society. They aren’t seen as admirable but, rather, as weak. But those who are admired also aren’t the bad boys and bad girls whose goals seem to be to just make everyone afraid. No, the people who are most admired are those who know when to say yes and when to say no, when to be gentle and when to be firm, when to concede and when to resist. They have a quiet strength about them that makes you feel both welcomed and safe. Striving to be that is what is admirable.

If Anything is Excellent or Praiseworthy

Think about what people are praised for: Being able to navigate challenging situations, having strength and discernment, choosing right over wrong, having godly character. People aren’t praised just for being nice or happy or positive. They excel and are praised when they are strong, confident, and courageous - and sometimes that means doing hard things.

A Final Thought About Whatever

When you really consider what the words mean in that “whatever” passage, it can help you think differently about what Paul is telling us to think about. But there’s another clue that helps us know that the passage isn’t just about positive thinking. The clue is in the verse after Philippians 4:8, and it says: “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice.” The apostle Paul is exhorting us to do whatever we have learned or received or heard from or seen in him. Have you seen Paul’s life? Have you heard his challenging exhortations? Have you learned his hard teachings that don’t make room for sin or shallowness in your life? If Paul follows his “whatever” passage with an exhortation to imitate him, you can be sure that it isn’t just about positive thinking.

So whatever you think about today, make it true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. And you will find that… Hope isn’t found in our situation changing; it’s found in our situation….

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Whatever (Think About These Things)