CAN WE FILTER WHAT WE RECEIVE?

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For many years, I was under the impression that we are like glasses. And we need to be full of the Holy Spirit. As we decrease, He can increase and we can be full of Him. It is important to be full of the Holy Spirit, but using the glass analogy, may not be the best analogy.
 
In reality, we are mainly two parts, spirit and flesh. We are all spirit beings living in human bodies. Some would say that we are three parts and we may be, but I want to address the flesh and the spirit. As Christians, Paul has said we are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16).
 
The spirit world, for most of us, is invisible. Granted, God does allow dreams, visions and spiritual experiences, but most of us do not normally see in the spiritual world.
 
While we do not see in the spirit, the spiritual world is very real. Secular education would have us all think that the physical brain is the center of everything. But in reality, the physical brain takes direction from the spirit. One might say, the spirit is like the heart. It is our deepest place. The apostle Paul has called it the “inner man” in Ephesians 3:16.
 
The truth is, that we are not like mere empty glasses, but that we are spongy. We soak up whatever is going on around us. Every day we take in and soak up what we see, hear, feel, touch, reason, etc., most of the time consciously, but still much of the time, we do it without even realizing it. We are like sponges.
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Whatever we intake from the world around us, we soak up.

 
Since the Covid -19 outbreak, I have heard people talking about being stressed, depressed, frustrated and some even with despair, and I am talking about Christians feeling and saying these things. Much of it, is because of what is heard of on television and every form of media we have. The fear that has overtaken many hearts, has been anywhere from disturbing to overwhelming and any measure in between. I have heard people say they cannot shake it off. I believe it is because they have absorbed too much heaviness.
 
So how can we fight it? Praise God there is a way! Instead of directly soaking it all up, we have a filter that God has provided. We can filter everything through Him. But how? We cannot just sing and praise all week like a church service. We have to work and manage our responsibilities, but we can refuse to absorb anything without God’s filtration. I will explain how.
 
Think of it like this. Let’s say we live in a city with dirty water from the public water supply or get well-water but the source is not the cleanest. A person can  add their own “filtration system” and by the time it comes out the faucet, one would never know that is was originally bad water but run through their home filtration system. With the Lord, we do not need a savings account or a loan, to acquire an expensive filtration process. The system He has available to us, never needs cleaning and never fails. Through His filtration, we can eliminate the toxins of daily life.
 
So let’s look at some of the ways we can filter the everyday issues and stresses through the Lord. The first step is to not just hear and receive things. As we hear things that are disturbing, we take it to the Lord first, then process it. It is not hard to do at all. Some people are doing this already, but for those who are not, as we hear what is rough, we just stop and give it to the Lord as they occur daily (examples will be given shortly). After awhile, it becomes second nature. Another step in the filtration process, is to consider what the Bible has to say about the issue at hand. Circumstances might say, I should tell someone off, but God’s Word says to “love my enemy” and “keep my patience.” God’s Word also says, “a soft answer turneth away wrath.” We must apply God’s Word to all situations. An important part of filtration is to trust the Lord foremost. Some might call it having faith but I prefer to call it trusting the Lord. I trust His Word, His timing, His provision, His help and everything I deal with is not unknown to Him but He saw it ahead of time and will be making the way for me, even if it means through fires, floods and storms. We need to be soaked in His Spirit (meaning filled of the Spirit) and when we operate our daily lives from being prayed up and in tune with the Holy Spirit, we will be much less vulnerable to the enemy.
 
So what might be a simple example of this filtration system? I heard today my cousin Bill got the virus. What is the first thing I do? I fret or freak out? No, I pray. Even while I am getting the news, in my heart, I am going “oh Lord” not as a term going nowhere, but unto the Lord. And I start praying for Bill and all his family. I see what I can do to help.  But I need God in between the circumstances and myself.
 
Instead of: “Me – circumstance.”
 
It is now: “Me – God – circumstance.”
 
Instead of just accepting the news and praying about it tonight or later, I include the Lord as it happens. I can still pray more later, but I do not just accept it without the Lord. God is with me and the more I lean on Him, the less stressful it is for me.
 
Another example: I just found out I lost my job. And my husband already lost his two months ago. I say, “Okay Lord, I know You will continue to show Your amazingness in seeing us through this crazy time.” Then, I just get still before the Lord. I refuse to drink in the despair. I stand of the fact that the Lord has always seen us through. Even when we made bad financial decisions in the past, the Lord in His mercy, still made a way for us. It was not easy, but He was with us every step of the way and saw us through. He has not changed. We are still His. And when I do not just accept the bad news, but filter it through the truth of God’s faithfulness, it truly makes a huge difference.
 
One more example: More riots and looting are going on in our city. I have to go out to get a prescription filled or food that we really need. What if I run into people acting crazy? I pray in my heart as I am considering my circumstances, “Lord help me to have Your wisdom and turn the other cheek if necessary or protect myself and family if necessary. Help me know what to do, and when, as situations occur. Lord, I thank You that Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my eyes. Holy Spirit, show me Your way as I go forth.”
 
These were just three examples, but everyday life is full of challenges and issues. So let’s not just receive whatever this world has to offer and directly drink in the heaviness of the circumstances and news around us.
 
Let’s call on the Lord first in all that we encounter. Let’s always remember that the Lord has faithfully taken care of us. Let’s keep in mind, that the Bible is our instruction manual for life, especially in troublesome times and circumstances.
 
Thank the Lord that we can refuse to just take in and soak up all the negativity that is comes at us. When we choose to include the Lord and all He has given us to filter life with, we can operate from a position of strength instead of getting so weighed down and frustrated.



Eli Cockrell