Christian Filters
CHRISTIAN FILTERS
Read Romans 12:1-3.
Leslie clapped a hand over her mouth. As Mom took out the coffeepot, she looked at her daughter. “Don’t use that word again,” she said.
“I’m sorry, Mom,” apologized Leslie. “I didn’t mean to say it, but I hear it all the time at school.” She watched Mom put a white paper into the coffeepot. “What’s that for?”
“This filter,” said Mom, “lets the water through but keeps the coffee grounds from going into the coffee. You need to be a filter too, filtering the things you hear and see. Allow only good things to settle down and stay with you. God will help you.”
“I’ll try, Mom,” agreed Leslie. She showed her mother a listing of a TV show on their DVR. “Can I watch this show tonight?”
Mom read the description and shook her head. “This isn’t the type of program you should see,” she said.
“Oh, it’ll be all right,” teased Leslie. “I’ll filter out all the bad stuff.”
Mom shook her head. “Would it be okay to put garbage in the coffeepot and expect the filter to make it fit to drink?”
“Yuck,” exclaimed Leslie. “Deep down I know I shouldn’t watch that show, but what you just said makes it more clear. We shouldn’t dump garbage into our minds on purpose. But when we can’t help what we see and hear, that’s when we should use our filters.”
HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you find yourself automatically saying or doing things you know are wrong? The best policy is to avoid being where you will hear or see bad things. If that’s impossible, ask the Lord to help you filter out the bad influences and to keep only the thoughts and ideas that are good.
TO MEMORIZE:
Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Philippians 4:8
KEEP THOUGHTS PURE.
From the book
