Over the last few years I have used a verse to guide me in what can loosely be described as a theme for the year. Last year my theme was “Serve Others with your Gift” that I patterned after 1 Peter 4:10-
Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in it its various forms.
This year I figured since it is 2020, I should concentrate on what my focus should be. (I know it’s kind of corny, but I just couldn’t resist it.) Philippians 4:8-9 says,
Phil 4:8
Finally, brothers, 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.
Phil 4:9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Paul uses it to give us a blueprint of where our focus should be and promises that the God of peace will be with us.
This month I want to look at the second “whatever” Paul lists: whatever is noble. The Greek word that the NIV translates as noble is σεμνά (semna). It is only used by the Apostle Paul. Some other translations use venerable, dignified, and honorable in this passage. He also uses a form of this word in 1 Timothy (2:2, 3:4, and 3:8) and Titus (2:2 and 2:7) often in reference to how Christian leaders should conduct themselves, which the NIV translates as “worthy of respect”.
While English definitions include references to political ranks, the general use here is probably more akin to one that points to positive character traits such as “courage, generosity, or honor.”
Alright, so what does thinking about whatever is noble look like? For me, I think if I pull in some of those other verses as supporting foundations, it points me to a life that honors God by being respectful and dignified. I’m not sure it resembles the stuffy, formal life a British royal might lead, but it does mean that even in my fun, my relationship with God needs to be honored and treated with respect. In my life some of that includes making sure I take part in corporate worship at church and studying and learning from God’s word. I take care of this relationship like I would a valued possession.
What is honoring to one person may not necessarily be honoring to another and the way I honor God may not be the way someone else does. It’s kind of like the love languages Gary Chapman speaks of in his book. He proposes for example that receiving acts of service may be an act of love for one partner while words of affirmation might be a way of showing love for another. The thing is, I suspect God delights in each of the ways we try to honor him.
Perhaps that is where I should turn my focus then, to taking note and thinking about the many ways my fellow believers also nobly honor God. I figure maybe there may be more to it than just that though. If I am truly thinking about whatever is noble, could it be that I also appreciate the courage, generosity, and honor exhibited by others as well as look for opportunities to practice those character traits too?
It is certainly a challenge in our society to turn my focus out rather than looking in for what I consider to be mine and my family’s best interests, but I suspect that true joy comes with the nobleness I intentionally consider and exercise for God along with others I meet along the way.
Here’s to the whatever is noble!!!
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