Honey, I forgot the filter!

It is a pretty simple process to make coffee; Add water in one area and coffee grounds in another. Push the button. Wait. Pour. Enjoy! In fact on some mornings it is so simple all I have to do is come downstairs and the coffee is already made because Cathy got up before me and made it!

Did you notice that I didn’t communicate in the simple instructions to add a filter? That is because our coffee maker doesn’t use paper coffee filters. Instead it has a metal mesh filter that gets rinsed off and used again.

With that in mind, I will admit that in the past I have at times made coffee without the filter both at church and at our cabin. It is then that revelation is given as to how important a coffee filter is!

Without it, the grounds wash through into the coffee pot and you get loose grounds in the hot water, but this undesired gritty coffee is not what I am looking for. Or, depending on how fine the grounds are, they clog the coffee maker and send the hot liquid to path of least resistance.

This includes the kitchen counter, down through the cabinets, and onto the hardwood floor resulting in a huge mess for someone to clean up as well as possible extensive damage or injury.

And worst of all; NO COFFEE!

So a filter is something that we really don’t think about and is really more important than we realize. This is true for any machine that has oil or air filters including vacuums, aquariums, air conditioners, furnaces, motor vehicles, and the list goes on.

A humidifier, for instance, can be a life saver during the winter season when the humidity is low and everybody in your house is down with dry nasal passages, dry throat and sinus infection that just won’t go no matter how many medications you use.

However, even when you buy the best humidifier, it is worthless without the good humidifier filters that prevent mold and bacteria growth. A humidifier filter also cleans and traps dust, pollen and other harmful particles in the water before they rise into the air with the evaporation.

And why are you telling me this? 

I am writing this because I have been noticing more and more how many people seem to have no filter as to what they post in social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook. I am not talking about the trash that is sent through texts, tweets, emails, or private messaging.

While I admit that we all sin (miss the mark), for some reason people post about it without realizing that they just posted it; but not in a way to deter others. It is almost as though they are acting as though the “Right to free speech” is a liberty that they will lose if they don’t use it.

I am very grateful that we have the “Right to free speech”, but I would submit that as Christians we still need to be filtering what we say and post. Or at least be cognitive of the fact that the whole world potentially can see what we post.

I have read posts in which Christians have admitted to crimes against people and property, as well as bragged about their drunkenness or sexual escapade. On several occasions I have contacted the individual and strongly suggested that they remove the post.

This includes jokes, attitudes, foul language, risqué photos or cartoons, prejudicial beliefs about races, religion, politicians, or other comments that leave me shaking my head wondering; “What were you thinking when you posted this?”

My best conclusion is that they forgot to use a filter. And just like a coffee maker without the filter, everything comes gushing out and spills everywhere resulting in a huge mess for someone to clean up as well as possible extensive damage or injury.  

We need to be cognitive that we live in a society where evil is called good, and good is called evil and people are wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight! A society where darkness is put in place of light and light in place of darkness, where bitter is substituted for sweet and sweet for bitter! (See Isaiah 5:20-24)

We need to be cognitive that we live in a society of people who are lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. (See 2 Timothy 3:1-5)

We need to be cognitive that we live in a society where we are called to be “salt”:

 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” (Matthew 5:13)

We need to be cognitive that we live in a society where we are called to be “light”:

 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16)

We need to be cognitive that we live in a society where we are called to be Christians; which means “follower of Christ”. And we need to let the Holy Spirit and His Word (the Bible) be the filter through which all things in our lives pass through, so that what comes out will be a benefit to those who read what we write, or listen to what we say. Philippians 4:8 says: 

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”

All Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.