Think About Him

“…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

As a youngster, I fostered the idea that God was on an ego trip, always telling people how wonderful he was. I got the impression that God just had to be worshiped. That somehow he needed a big crowd of people adoring him. Do you ever question exactly why God wants us to get to know him?

Question no longer. Suppose you, like God, were the most true, just, pure, lovely, and praiseworthy being in existence. And what if everything else in the universe that had any of these qualities got them from you? For that matter, suppose that without you these qualities would never have existed.

If that were the case, then for anyone around you to improve in any way, they would have to become more like you. For you to ask people to think about these good qualities would be to ask them to think about you. For them to take an ego trip would be wrong, because they would be centering their thoughts around sin and imperfection. But your ego trip would be glorious. So when God asks us to think about him, he asks us to think about everything that is true, just, pure, lovely, and praiseworthy.

God knows that the more we get to know him, the more we will know of life—real life. He understands that by walking with him, we will better comprehend genuine love—after all, he is love. God wants us to get to know him—not because he needs our worship but because we desperately need his strength. It has nothing to do with satisfying his ego but everything to do with finding life.

Take a look at Acts 17:24-28. If the person being described in this passage were anyone other than God, you might think he was on an ego trip. But God’s ego trip has a very special purpose. Locate God’s purpose in this section of Scripture and make it your personal prayer today.

Help me to understand, Lord, that in you I live, move, and have my being!