I woke up thinking of my dad this morning and it got mixed with Phil 4:8.
A book bought by a friend (thanks A!) - triggered a month-long meditation on the biblical wisdom Phil. 4:8... 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."
When you deal with grief and disappointment you are concern with the cycle of 'what-ifs' and 'guilt trips'. It's amazingly true what Proverbs says: "As a man thinketh in his heart...so is he."
My mind wandered about my dad - his thinking pattern was always 'serve'. He served us, his peers, his co-workers, and his family. That's the way he was wired. He never thought 'be lazy'.
My mind wandered about God's thoughts - whether you insert God into the role as a father, mother, CEO, or friend his thoughts are always True, Noble, Right, Pure, Lovely, Admirable, Excellent, and PraiseWorthy.
That means God would be the best in any role you put Him into because his thoughts are so much higher than ours.
Imagine a CEO with True thoughts - never lying, or embellishing the sale figures in a company. As a CEO - God tell his employees that He would take a pay cut of 90% and give it back to the employees - Noble! Or have Pure thoughts of taking care of the company and being socially responsible. That's just the way God's thoughts are - continually.
I think God is joyous and delightful by nature because His thoughts are always Phil. 4:8.
He's never thinking the opposite of Phil. 4:8 Lies, Un-Noble, Wrong, Vile, Ugly, Dire, Mediocre. You have to wonder when we dwell on things that are Not True, or Wrong things, or Vile that we find so many people who are depressed or discouraged.
Or to think God might think of such things towards you - which is infinitely out of His character - you think God is disappointed with you. It's amazing parents think that about their kids, but nowhere in the bible does God reveal his thoughts, "You're all a disappointing lot, and you're worthless."
Granted God is Holy so He gets angry, but can you blame Him? When we see a child killed, aren't we angry? But God never places us in the category box of 'reject'. He is Noble. He redeems us and states clearly His thoughts are for peace, prosperity and hope.
God always thinks Lovely things about us. His intentions are always Noble, Pure, Lovely and Good.
I see the wisdom of that when I think of my own father and how much I miss him. When someone dies...you see them in more clarity - and for myself I see my dad as Noble and Serving. It makes me ache because I miss that about him.