Filters

Filters, we all have them and they are as different and varied as we are.  The filters I am talking about is the lens through which we view life. Our lens can be colored or even distorted. Perhaps you’ve heard the saying, “We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.” That’s true because we view things through whatever filter is on our lens. That’s why ten people can see the same incident and will each have a different tale. They each saw it through their filter.

 We are more likely to pick up on others faulty filters before we notice our own. That’s because if we knew our filter was colored or distorted we would try to clean it in order to see correctly. As we go through life we can even change filters or our filters can become even more distorted.

Many misunderstandings occur because of a faulty filter. Have you ever known someone that you had to be so careful what you said to them because they had a tendency to take what you said the wrong way? Most likely they had a filter of rejection that clouded everything they heard. One time a lady I did not know asked me to pray for her because she got her feelings hurt all the time. She realized she had a faulty filter and the problem wasn’t with other people.

Our filters can become faulty through different avenues such as hurts, family filters, society view points and even church if the teachings are mans interpretations rater than God’s. Hurts that are not healed properly will leave us with a distorted filter. For example, a person whose trust has been broken by someone close to them may have the view that no one is to be trusted. The society we live in may say it’s okay to cheat as long as no one gets hurt. That is a faulty filter, if we believe that. We may even know the truth in our minds but we will always act on what we believe in our hearts.

 The only clear filter is truth. That’s why Scripture says. “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32. Here, JESUS is talking about being His disciple and letting the truth, His view point, bring freedom to our lives. He wants to bring freedom to us by giving us a clear filter of truth to look through. There is freedom when your feelings aren’t being hurt all the time and we realize everyone isn’t against us. There is freedom when you can trust people and leave it with the LORD if they break our trust. There is freedom when the truth gets from our mind into our hearts.

So,where do you have a faulty filter? If you ask the LORD to show you any place you have a filter that isn’t clear He will show you. Are you ready for the clear filter? I think I’ll go ask Him about mine!