Near the end of his letter to the Philippians, St. Paul encourages the reader:

Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable — if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy — dwell on these things.

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬ ‭CSB‬

This is often taken as a sort of “general instruction,” as if the Apostle were merely telling us to “keep on the sunny side.” Indeed, some have even used this passage as fodder for spiritual bypassing. Oh, let’s just pretend not to notice the bad things. Let’s not mention this unjust thing over here, or acknowledge that unpleasant fact over there.

Is this really what God wants us to take from that passage? The answer should be a rather obvious No. Scripture doesn’t flinch from the ugly. Besides, in another letter, Paul tells us not to participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them (Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭11‬ ‭CSB‬). Exposing the darkness demands shedding light upon it. Acknowledging it. Thinking about it. Discerning it. And confronting it.

Now, I do think there’s a general application of the passage. In general, Christians—who know that our Lord is making all things new; and so work out our salvation, not only in fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12-13), but bound by hope (Zechariah 9:12)—ought not be morbid. Rather, we of all people ought to contemplate and seek out the good, the true, and the beautiful; in this present evil age of lies and crudeness.

But I also think Christian community and fellowship would be greatly strengthened if we applied this passage to our relationships with one another.

Here’s what I am not suggesting. I’m not suggesting that we overlook actual heresy, abuse, patterns of sin, or any sort of toxic or bullying behavior in other believers. Those fall under the category of the fruitless works of darkness, which must not be ignored, but exposed.

Here’s what I am saying. I am saying that we ought to be intentionally seeking out what is good, true, and beautiful in our fellow believers—and delighting in it! For if we believe that they have the same Holy Spirit dwelling and working in them as we do in us; then it glorifies God to sample the good fruit the Spirit is growing and maturing in them. Taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8).

What if we began looking in our fellow believers for whatever is true? That is, not according to the prejudices of our eyes and our culture, but discovering the real person God has given us?

What if we sought out in them whatever is honorable? That is, what is noble about them. Their dignity. Is not the frail old gentleman ambling into the assembly on his walker an image of nobility? Do we not see the honor crowning the grey hairs of the wife caring for her husband with dementia, or the dignity in the man singing A Mighty Fortress is Our God slightly off-key, but with gusto?

What if we were always concerned about whatever is just for our fellow believers? How might that transform how we seek to understand the perspective of a sister or brother of another race; or those who are disabled? Can we say we love them if we don’t seek justice for them?

What if we looked for whatever is pure in other Christians? That is, what if we didn’t assume that they had impure and self-serving motives, but actually looked hopefully and with eager expectation for evidences of the purity of heart the Holy Spirit has formed and is perfecting in them? If we truly believed that God gives believers new hearts and puts His own Spirit in us (Ezekiel 36:26-27), wouldn’t we do that, instead of assuming they’re lazy, apathetic, or unconverted?

What if we asked God to show us whatever is lovely in our fellow Christians? That is, what is fitting and well-suited to them in their particularity? Perhaps we would find ourselves absolutely ravished by the beauty of a mother rocking an infant, or a new believer fumbling through the genealogy in Matthew, but persevering!

What if we implored the Holy Spirit to reveal to us whatever is commendable in the people around us in the assembly? To illuminate any moral excellence and anything praiseworthy in them that we might not see on our own? Don’t you believe the Spirit would honor that prayer?

Here’s what I suspect would begin to happen if we did this.

I suspect that—provided we began with a biblical anthropology that nothing good dwells in fallen man naturally (Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 3:10-18, 23; 7:18; Ephesians 2:3)—when we perceived the good, the true, and the beautiful in our fellow believers, we would see the work of God. And we would glorify Him for whatever good we found in them, and stand in awe of His grace, and be humbled.

Indeed, we would all be led to confess with Augustine: O Lord, whatever is good in me is from You; the rest is my fault.

And we might be less inclined to find fault with our sisters and brothers, to nitpick at them, to assume that they’re on God’s bronze plan while we’re on the gold plan.

We would not be quick to jump ship to some more attractive-looking church, but would be contented and, in fact, pleased as punch with our boring churchmates. We would not see them as a problem to be solved, but as clay jars full of glory, with the grace of God dripping through the cracks.

We would bear with their weaknesses, learn to work with their eccentricities, and forgive their lapses and failures.

In short—if we applied Philippians 4:8 to our dealings with the other believers God has placed alongside us in our local congregation, the Church might actually just about work the way Jesus said it’s supposed to.