There are items in our cars and homes that assure consistent and good operation that we seldom think much about and those items are filters. In our cars they filter the air and fuel, in our homes they filter our air. It is so easy to forget and even neglect these very important “servants”. In our lives as the people of God we also have the necessity of filters. In our spiritual lives these filters serve to address our thoughts, our words and our actions. All three of these matters need to pass through the filter of God’s will for His people. Here is a text that refers to this reality:
Philippians 1:9-11 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
Verse ten is the core of this thought; that we would “…approve things that are excellent…” that is, filter out those thoughts, words and actions that are by their very nature corrupting. I was challenged this morning on this matter by a verse from the Psalms.
Psalm 45:1 My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
Notice with me just the first phrase of this Psalm, “My heart is inditing a good matter:…” How often is it that we entertain some very corrupting and otherwise unhealthy thoughts? It is said that, “we are what we eat”, but likely it is far more correct that we are what we think.
It may well be time for you to give some serious consideration to your “filters." God’s Word provides the design and criteria for our filtering. Use His Word wisely and often.
