| | Caffeinated Life - Episode 5
Use a good filter
Until I started making my own coffee, I never realized how important the filter is. Some coffee purists say that paper filters give an undesirable taste to the coffee and recommend a gold, permanent filter when brewing. Others say the exact opposite, that paper is less offensive. Still others say that using a French press gives the best coffee flavor (my personal choice) and use the filter built into the press. In any case, the filter keeps the grounds from getting into your coffee and making it nasty.
It is essential in our spiritual lives to have a filter in place as well. A filter to keep impurities and garbage from entering our lives.
Titus 1:15-16
“Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, because their minds and consciences are defiled. Such people claim they know God, but they deny him by the way they live. They are despicable and disobedient, worthless for doing anything good.”
This is one of those passages of Scripture that you read or hear and kind of wince, because God hits us right between the eyes with the truth. When our minds and consciences are defiled, we become worthless for doing anything good. And if we are not constantly examining (filtering) the content we are allowing into our lives, we are not going to be living lives that are pleasing to God. Scripture goes so far as to call these people despicable and worthless. Ouch. All the more reason to have a good filter in place.
In a culture that is increasingly media dependant, we need to be wary of media culture when it comes to our relationship with God. We need to examine the music, the movies, the television, and the Internet content that we willingly subject ourselves to. Now I’m not going to tell you watch this, but don’t watch this. Listen to this, but don’t listen to this. That would be legalism. I believe God gave us a conscience for a reason, that we would use it!
All I ask is that you would write down this next Scripture on a 3x5 card or use a dry erase marker and write it on your bathroom mirror. Put it somewhere prominent, and use this as your filter for your life.
Philippians 4:8
“Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”
Let that be the filter that you place on our heart, on your mind, on your soul. In every area, be constantly asking yourself, "Is this true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and worthy of praise?" If the answer is, "Yes," then you should be in safe territory. If not, you might want to re-examine the media diet you're on.
Set an example for the people God has placed in your life. You are leaders! Be able to say as Paul did to the church at Corinth…
1 Corinthians 11:1
“Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ.”
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| | Posted 8/2/2006 10:01 AM - 15 comments
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