No filter...

During a phone conversation this week, with a friend who lives out of town, I was challenged to think about what filters I use in determining what I think, say, do. The conversation was about Facebook and my love/hate relationship with it.

I absolutely see some wonderful things about it - the ability to have easy access to all your friends, especially those living far off or in other countries; the swift ability to disseminate information, like prayer requests or "how to" questions; finding lost friends and keeping in touch easier.

I see some less than wonderful things about Facebook - can you really have 847 friends? Really? Close ones? Shouldn't there be a group for "friends" and another for "acquaintances" or "only met once" or "friend of my sister's best friend's cousin"? And the games and questions? Farmville? It can steal your time, but it can also rob you of contentment as you read about all the fun "friends" you have and all the fun they are having without you!

As my friend and I were talking, she made a statement that really made me think. She said, "What gets me is how people can get on Facebook and you can read every little thought they ever had, like there is no filter... you think it, you post it for the world to see!"

No filter... hmmmm... I have been pondering... what is my filter? How do I decide what to say or what not to say? My filter should be Scripture. 2 Corinthians 10:5 says we are to take our thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ. Thoughts should come before words, if one is exercising self-control, you will ask yourself before you speak if what you are about to say will be a blessing to those who hear it (Ephesians 4:29), and whether or not this would be something that would bring glory to God, or display His greatness to those who may not yet know Him.

And I realize I have different types of filters, like the fuel filter from my car wouldn't be an appropriate thing to use on my home A/C or our reverse osmosis drinking water filter would be useless on our paint sprayer. While Scripture is the foremost filter, once that which would be displeasing to the Lord has been sifted out, we may need to put on a kid filter (to protect them from conversations too mature for them), or a husband filter (get to the point quickly), or a friend filter (more detailed, requiring coffee)... you get the point.

I am thankful, to be thinking of filters. I am in the midst of a trial right now, one which could have been avoided had my filter been more refined. And I know that God is working right now to teach me something wonderful. I am thankful that God is helping me choose better filters.