Phil 4:8 (NKJV) Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
Pure.
Merriam Webster’s a.(1) definition of “pure” is: “unmixed with any other matter.”
Just contemplating the meaning of that is enough to end this post here.
Galatians 2:20 (my life verse) says that I’ve been crucified and it is no longer I who lives , but Christ lives in me.
Pure… Christ lives in me… “unmixed with any other matter” Hmmm…. need I say more?
Webster’s 2nd definition of “pure” is “being free from harshness and roughness and being in tune“ – there is a whole sermon in that statement…. so many thing are running through my mind on how that is so applicable to me.
- “… free from harshness or roughness…” – If I am the hands of Jesus, are my hands rough and calloused, or are they soft and tender? Is my demeanor abrasive and or irritating (don’t answer that!) or am I gentle and accepting, forgiving and seeing the best in those around me, like Jesus did with the group of misfits he made into disciples.
- “… being in tune…” – Being a worshiper and musician I so understand and relate to this… how being just the slightest bit out of tune can absolutely ruin a melody. How often am I ruining the song Jesus wants to sing through me by being out of tune? Looking deeper into the sound waves – the basis of what we hear – it begs the question, “Do I resonate with the Master?” The more I look at this, the more interesting it gets….
The Anatomy of a Sound Wave
The wavelength is the distance from one peak of a wave to the next.
Frequency – what most of us call “pitch” – is a measure of waves in a given space of time. It’s measured in Hertz (Hz). For example, a note with the frequency of 440 Hz (the note, A) means that 440 pulses occur in one second.
Amplitude is the measure of the amount of energy in a wave – basically, how loud it is — and is measured in decibels (Db).
Enough of the science/music lesson. The point is that it is EASY to not be “in tune” with the Lord – I’ve got at least three ways to be out of sync: wavelength, frequency and amplitude. The only way, my wavelength, frequency, and amplitude can match His is if I am ABSENT from the sound wave and it is ONLY HIS SOUND. When I am involved, I just mess up His sound, get out of sync and make the note that much less pure.
Musically, it’s called dissonance… yet another interesting definition from Webster:
dis•so•nance \ˈdi-sə-nən(t)s\ noun
1 a : lack of agreement especially : inconsistency between the beliefs one holds or between one’s actions and one’s beliefs — compare COGNITIVE DISSONANCE
b : an instance of such inconsistency or disagreement
2 : a mingling of discordant sounds especially : a clashing or unresolved musical interval or chord
Merriam-Webster, I. (2003). Merriam-Webster’s collegiate dictionary. (Eleventh ed.). Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Lack of agreement… inconsistency… clashing or unresolved musical intervals (frequency of wavelengths) or chords. I go back to Galatians 2:20 (it seems that all roads lead to this verse for me) – “…this life I live in the flesh, I live by faith in the son of God…“
I challenge you to look up the word “pure” in the dictionary – skip the Greek, let’s just focus on the English definition today – and apply each and every definition under “pure” to your spiritual walk.
“… whatever things are pure… meditate on these things.”
Be careful to remember what Paul says here – “…meditate on these things…”
I’m not supposed to dwell on how impure I am – how out of tune I’ve become – how much I’ve mixed myself into this life that Jesus is supposed to be living in me. No, I’m supposed to meditate on “… whatever things are pure…” – which in my simple mind, is only Jesus… nothing much else.
“… whatever things are pure… meditate on these things.”
…Running After Papa