In Philippians 4, Paul addresses what our mindsets and attitudes should be as believers:

* We should always rejoice in The Lord and learn to be content no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in.  The Lord will give us the needed strength. 

* We should exhibit a gentleness that will be evident to all. 

* We should not be anxious about anything because The Lord is near and we can go to Him in our times of need. He will grant us a peace that will transcend our understanding and will meet all our needs according to His riches. 

* Our thought lives ought to dwell on things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. 

One of my favorite Disney movies from "back in the day" is Pollyanna, which is about an excessively cheerful and optimistic young orphan girl named Pollyanna who changes the outlook of her town. 

Today, the term "Pollyanna" often carries a negative connotation and is commonly used to describe those who are not just excessively cheerful and optimistic but unreasonably, illogically, or blindly optimistic. 

I would venture to say most of us have enough life experience and wisdom to acknowledge that life can be hard and unfair and that there is evil and injustice and inequality in our world. Man is fallen and sin and death are sadly part of our worldly existence. In this chapter of Philippians, Paul is not asking us to be naive or to walk about with blinders on, oblivious to the trials around us. What he IS exhorting us to do is to recognize that, in The Lord Jesus Christ, we can rise above all the difficulties of life and find joy, peace, and contentment in spite of them.  Hallelujah!

"Lord, help me this day to rejoice in You and all that is made possible through faith in Christ. Help me to be a gentle person to everyone I encounter. Relieve all my fears and anxieties and help me trust fully in You, knowing that all things and circumstances are under Your authority. Help me look to You for the fulfillment of all my needs, for only You are able to bring true contentment to my life. Remind me that "in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or want," You will give me strength. Thank You for promising to guard my heart and mind and to give me extraordinary peace. Thank You for transforming my mind so that, despite the harsh and often ugly realities of life, I can think on things that are of a higher and nobler nature rather than being pulled down into the muck and mire of the fallen world around me. Amen."