What is Your Report?

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Have you ever been around a person who is just negative ALL THE TIME? Everything they say to you is about how bad something is. They are quick to tell you all the things wrong with this world and everyone around you. Is this person you? Are you constantly telling yourself everything wrong with you, with those around you, focused on the difficult circumstances and events in your life? Philippians 4 tells us that we are to think about things that are of good report or some translations say worthy of praise. 


I don’t know about you, but when I look at my thought life, unfortunately all too often my thoughts are not worthy of praise. They are more than likely about how annoyed I am, how tired I am, how much I have to get done this week, etc. As I scroll through Facebook, I find myself getting frustrated with people and wanting to let them know. I let myself dwell on things that are not of good report.


This isn’t what God wants for us. What does he want? A good report. When we look at the word that is translated as “good report” it is “euphemos”. This is another one of those words that only appears one time in the Bible and that is in this verse. If we look at the two words that comprise this word, it is a word that means will and one that means fame or report. So it means they will have fame or be reported. The word for fame is only used in two verses and in both of those verses it is talking about the fame of Jesus.


Luke 4:14 is one of these examples. In this verse it says, “Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power. Reports about him spread quickly through the whole region.” They were spreading the word about Jesus and his works all around, to anyone who would listen. Philippians 4:8 tells us we are supposed to be thinking about things that spread Jesus' fame. Things that remind us that Jesus is worthy of praise.


Another thing that we should be doing is finding ways that we can do the works of Jesus. Matthew 5:16 says, “In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” We need to look for opportunities to show the love of Jesus to those around us. Who can we encourage, who can we pray for, who can we help? Far too often Christians are not making Jesus known in a positive light. Unfortunately too many make Jesus look like a judgmental, rude, hateful person. This is the opposite of the Jesus we see in the Bible. Yes, Jesus did tell people the truth. Yes, sometimes it wasn’t very easy for them to hear, but most of the time the people he spoke that way to were the religious people, not the “sinners”. If we are going to spread the good news and fame of Jesus, we have to act like Jesus.


Is your thought life bringing praise to Jesus? Are you focusing on things that are of good report? Are you shining your light before others so that they can see the fame of Jesus? Or are your thoughts taken up by the world and all the things happening around us? Do you let the circumstances and annoyances of the day fill your thoughts instead? This week be intentional to turn your thoughts towards things that give praise to God. Things that will show Jesus as the loving savior that he is! This week give a good report!

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