⁸And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. ⁹Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

Philippians 4:8-9

On final thing, my dear readers! It is here that science is catching up with scripture. It is good for your brain to focus on the positive.

Yesterday we flew to Florida for the holiday. While waiting for our bag to arrive, we chatted with some people we knew who were on our flight. I marveled at how quickly the conversation turned negative. Not in a drastic, we have to repent in sack cloth and ashes sort of way. But just negative. We enjoyed a nonstop, less than two hour, completely smooth flight and yet by the comments you might have thought it was a ten hour, turbulent flight riddled with extra stops and problems. We all do it.

Paul encourages us to fix our thoughts on all things good and uplifting. If we do this, “then the God of peace will be with you!”

I have never noticed that distinction. When I pray rather than worry, I receive the peace of God that is beyond imagination. When I fix my mind on positive qualities of life then the God who brings that peace will be with me. Do you see that slight difference? Or perhaps it isn’t so slight!

What is more desirable? The peace God gives or the God who gives the peace? I say YES! I want them both.

Take a moment to listen to yourself and others. Are the commentss generally of a negative variety, finding a little something wrong with everything? Or are the comments uplifting and filled with gratitude and grace?

Maybe that is something to take into your holiday gatherings — a determination to fix your thoughts on what is right, pure, lovely, true, honorable, admirable, excellent and worthy of praise!

And the God of peace will be with you!