Fix Your Mind – Whatever is Honorable/Respectable/Noble (Part 2)
September 26, 2023
A few weeks back, I was in the outside lane of a two-lane McDonald’s drive through. I had placed my order and pulled ahead enough to allow the car behind me to get to the order board. Suddenly, the man in the lane next to me lowered his passenger side window and yelled at me for not alternating vehicles as the lanes merged into one. Then, he quickly closed the window. I knew I had completed my order before him and that our orders would be mixed up at the window if I let him go ahead of me. A few seconds later, he lowered the window again and yelled something else. Then he did this a third time, just as the car in front of us moved forward. As he was closing his window that time, I was quick enough to tell him to have a nice day and I gestured for him to go ahead of me. (No, not that kind of gesture.)
Just as I suspected would happen, the orders were now out of sequence. The employee at the pay window must have gotten an earful from this guy when he tried to charge him for my order. I could tell this young employee was rattled, so I gave him an encouraging smile. Then, I pulled up to the window where the food was handed out. Clearly that person had gotten a tongue-lashing for trying to give this guy the wrong food. Again, I applied my friendliest smile and thanked the employee.
That day, I had the presence of mind not to yell back. And I had the presence of mind to encourage those who had also been the target of this man’s rudeness. But, the rudeness bothered me. I spent the entire 30-minute commute to the office thinking about all the things I could have said to this guy but didn’t because I did not want to escalate it. Not only did I feel unsettled in the moment, but I also replayed the event over and over in my head. And then I started thinking about all the other times I felt people had been rude to me. By the time I got to the office, I was an unsettled mess.
This feeling could have been avoided if I had heeded the advice of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 4:6-9. Instead of focusing my mind on something good, I let my mind dwell on the rudeness, and it impacted my whole day. Paul must have known this would happen and that is why he told us to focus on something else.
8 For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them]. (AMPC)
In Part 1, I pointed out that we are to fix our minds on whatever is true. The Apostle Paul also suggests that I concentrate on what is honorable and respectable, instead of what is disrespectful, rude, and dishonorable.
Honorable means worthy of honor. Honor is sticking to what is right or honest. Being respectable is being honest, good, or right. Noble is having or showing fine personal qualities or high moral principles and ideals. Seemly means polite and fitting for the occasion, in good taste, upright and appropriate. On the other hand, when something is dishonorable, it means to brings shame or disgrace on someone or something. Unseemly means inappropriate or unacceptable behavior.
Here are a few examples of how the various writers of the New Testament instructed the early Christians to act.
Conduct yourselves properly (honorably, righteously) among the Gentiles, so that, although they may slander you as evildoers, [yet] they may by witnessing your good deeds [come to] glorify God in the day of inspection [when God shall look upon you wanderers as a pastor or shepherd looks over his flock]. 1 Peter 2:12
Repay no one evil for evil, but take thought for what is honest and proper and noble [aiming to be above reproach] in the sight of everyone. Romans 12:17
Not only am I to ACT honorably, but I am also instructed to fix my THOUGHTS on what is noble and honorable. Unfortunately, we seem to be hooked on rudeness. It is on the internet, in social media, and on reality TV. It seems like dishonorable and unseemly behavior is encouraged and then celebrated. We love to gossip about bad behavior. But, bad behavior begets more bad behavior. Soon everyone thinks this is the way all people act, and they mimic what they see and what they think about.
I say, “NO!!” I don’t have to be rude, AND I don’t have to dwell on rudeness. I have the power to flip the script. Instead of giving the drive-through guy the “bird,” I told him to have a nice day. If I see rudeness directed toward others, I choose to encourage the person who was the target of that rudeness, by complimenting them on not repaying bad behavior with more bad behavior. Instead of thinking about the rudeness I just witnessed, I can focus on what is good, honorable, and polite. Not only should I focus my thoughts on what is honorable, I should also point out and celebrate those who are honorable. Let’s talk about the honorable instead of gossiping about the rude and what we would have said or done in that situation.
Rudeness is everywhere, on the highways and streets, and on social media where “haters” leave anonymous critical opinions. Yeah, so maybe the haters hate. But, fix your mind instead on the honorable who honor.