A few thoughts...

"Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:6-7

"Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable - if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise - dwell on these things."

Philippians 4:8

"...In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content - whether well-fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me."

Philippians 4: 12-13

Wow, I really do love chapter 4 of Philippians. There is so much good here. So much for us to cling to, so much to learn from. 

We really do worry a lot, but it is clearly stated in God's word...do not worry about anything! Instead of worrying, we should always let God know what is on our hearts, talk to Him, and trust Him. His peace will guard our hearts and minds. 

Then, there is the reminder to dwell on the good things, and not the bad. If it is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, or commendable...dwell on that! Moral excellence and praise, that should be a wake up call. So much of our world today does not fall into the "if there is any moral excellence" category. Much of our world today is far from it. Let's think for a moment about the word "dwell". What does the regular old dictionary have to say about that word? 

Dwell - to linger over, emphasize, or ponder in thought, speech, or writing

Hmm, linger over... Do we linger over the things in life that true, the things that are pure, and the things with moral excellence, or do we simply let them pass by and go on to what has become normalcy, what has become acceptable, even some of it in christian circles. Why do we let sin creep its way in and think that it is okay? Sex before marriage, not okay. Getting drunk, not okay. Dressing immodestly, not okay! Disrespecting elders, not okay. Cheating, lying, gossiping, making fun of others, NOT OKAY!

Another thing that isn't okay... our complaining. Why have we not learned by now that complaining gets us nowhere. Complaining pushes us farther away from God, and nobody wants to be around a complainer.. but for some reason everyone wants to be the complainer? The children of Israel were not allowed into the promised land because of their disobedience to God. When you look at their attitudes, they were always complaining! We need to focus on learning to be content in all situations with the strength of Christ.