Wisdom in Whatever...

Have your children ever looked at you and said, "Whatever..."? I am sure that I am the only mother with girls that would say such a thing. But, in case there are others out there, just wanted to share my thoughts. 


My girls usually say the "whatever" to each other in context to their being on the receiving end of an accusation. Or they use it as an answer to my long explanation of how I see a certain situation or event. It usually translates as "it doesn't really  matter what you think or do or say. I don't really care."


They don't use the word as much anymore because they have grown up a bit and they learned the consequences when used with their father and me. But today I heard a teenager use it with her mom. I don't know the context of the argument, but the part I heard ended with the teenager telling her mom - "Whatever, mom. Quit trying to tell me what to think and feel. I can think anything I want!"


Well, that is true. We are capable of thinking anything we want. We can feel anyway we choose. It is completely up to us no matter what age we are. We make a choice everyday.


When I got home this morning, I was having my quiet time and the verse in one of my daily devotions was from Philippians 4:8-9.  I laughed out loud when I read the familiar scripture:

Finally, brothers and sisters, 

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.

 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.

As I thought about this verse and the teenagers response to her mom, I realized that we do get to choose what we think about. We get to choose how we respond to or put into practice what we think about. It does matter.

I used to tell my girls all the time... garbage in, garbage out. I would ask them what value that TV show or that movie or that magazine or that conversation with their friend was teaching them? What they learned or received or heard or saw made a difference in how they thought.

When we think on the things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely and admirable then we tend to respond to the people around us with the same characteristics. It takes the focus off of ourselves and puts it on others. To think on these things is the action we are told to take but the reward is Peace. Peace will be with us if we think on these things.

Today I am choosing to think about the things in my life that are true and noble and right. The things that are pure and lovely and admirable. The good things around me that are excellent and praiseworthy.

Whatever you choose to think about today... may the God of Peace be with you.