“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.”
Today we come to the sixth of the eight areas by which we fill our minds. These eigtht areas will save us from broken relationships.
“whatever things are of good report”
“Good report” is sweet speaking or fair speaking. This person speaks well for himself. He is reputable, winning, attractive, and leads others to exclaim, “Well done.” He is commendable. This believer is positive and constructive rather than negative and destructive. Do not dwell on the negative and bad report. Dwelling on discouraging things distorts our view of the world. Ugly and untrue words destroy the possibility of reconciliation.
If Euodia thought on the virtues of Syntyche, her sister in Christ would develop a greater likelihood of reciprocity. If Euodia magnified her graces and minimized her faults, Syntyche would sense appreciation. She had the greatest context to link to Euodia as a friend.
If, on the other hand, Euodia was a gossipmonger who told every horrible story she could find about Syntyche, there would be little hope for reconciliation. Some people love to relate the failures of other people because it makes them look good by contrast.
Principle:
God wants us to tell good, kind, and true stories about others.
Application:
Speaking well of others builds an environment for reconciliation. Instead of dwelling on our friends’ failures, we focus on their positive contributions and then have a much greater potential for reconciliation. When there comes an occasion to correct a friend, we will have built an environment of credibility that will allow us to critique him.
