The Filter of God’s Love

Ephesians 5:8, 18-20

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How do you look at things in life? Sometimes we face troubling circumstances and we are tempted to look at God through those troubling circumstances. And we think maybe God doesn’t care about us. Look at all the problems that we are facing. The trick, however, though, is to look at those troubling circumstances through God. Saint Paul talks about this in Ephesians chapter five, when he says,

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. (Ephesians 5:8)

We were once in darkness. We once had a filter covering our vision, like a filter on the end of a camera. Or when you’re on Instagram and you want to share a picture and you choose a different filter like Clarendon or Lark or lo fi. It changes the picture. It changes the look. The devil tries to do that to you and me. He uses all the negative circumstances around us to try and get us to see things in a different light. And he loves his filters. He loves to put filters of doom and despair and hopelessness over our eyes. And when that happens, we can’t then see God very clearly. We can’t see the love and the grace that God has for us.

When that happens, what should we do? Where do we turn? We need to get rid of these filters. These changes in the picture. We want to see things not through the terrible circumstances that we face, but we want to see things through the love and grace of God. Paul in this chapter. He goes on and he gives us the encouragement of what to do. Ephesians five verses 18 and 19

Be filled with the Spirit by speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (singing and making music with your hearts to the Lord), by always giving thanks for everything to God the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 5:18-20)

When we’re feeling down and we have that filter of depression and doom and hopelessness that Satan’s trying to make us see everything around us in. Shed those, be encouraged by the people around you. Dive into God’s Word, see the love that God has for you through your Savior Jesus. Because of what Jesus has done, we can have a whole different vision. We see things in a completely different light. We are now standing in the light of his grace. Our sins are completely forgiven. He’s paid the full price for all of them. Our sins are gone as we now stand before God. And that gives us peace. What a beautiful filter! That we get to now look at everything around us in. God’s love filters out all the troubles. We look at the troubles now through the filter of God’s love. And we can say, What do I have to worry about? God loves me. He’s promised me heaven. I don’t need to worry about these things.

So when it comes to the devil’s filters, cast those off. Don’t look at God through those filters of trouble. But look at the troubles through the filter of God’s love and see that they’re nothing that you have to worry about.

And we pray, Lord, help us to always see the power, the grace and love that you have for us. Help us to deal with the struggles that we have in life with this before our eyes. We pray this in Jesus name. Amen.

God’s peace be with you.