Philippians 4, The Message
The Message translation of Philippians 4, in Eugene Peterson's Remix: Pause, a Daily Reading Bible, ends with this statement. "This selection leaves you with a couple of assignments: turn your worries into prayer, and meditate on God's best rather than on the ugly things of the world.
As Peterson translates it: You'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious - the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.
For me, taking capture every thought is so very hard. It would be impossible without mindfulness. How often before my practice did my mind go racing with me completely unaware that I could control its direction.
Garbage in, garbage out, they say. So mindfulness, plus a conscious effort to see and hear what is good, helps. Conscious turning of the mind to praise, gratitude and petition also helps. At some point, I pray my mind will be less of an out-of-control sled on an icy hill, and more of a walk in the woods.
