Maintaining a Godly Filter
Romans 12:2 (NIV®)
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Ours is a world of endless, insistent distractions. We have trained ourselves to respond immediately to every buzz, bell, and vibration. In the midst of so many messages demanding our attention, we need to keep a godly filter on our thoughts and our behaviors. We are active participants in this culture, but we must not be conformed to its patterns. We are representatives of Jesus in our world, and our goal is to conform ourselves and the culture to Christ and His values. In order to accomplish this, we must keep our attention on Him. He’s the One who showed us how to live this Christian life. We don’t have to imagine it. We can see His example and know how to treat ourselves and others. We are human and will never live as perfectly as Jesus did. But when we train our minds to be more like His, we will be better able to know and do the will of God.
THINK ABOUT IT
God will not force obedience and transformation upon us, but He will present invitations before us. Let’s choose to resist the prevailing standards of this present age and turn our focus toward pleasing Him, doing His will, and cultivating a growing and dynamic faith.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, I ask for Your Holy Spirit’s help to see myself and the things around me as You do. Lord, help me to lay aside the worldly filters of selfishness, wants, and desires to gain Your perspective, Your hope, and Your triumph in my life. Thank You for Your life-giving transformation. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Blessings,
Pastor Allen Jackson
Comments
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The Blessing
Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account.
Philippians 4:17 NIV
Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account.
Philippians 4:17 NIV
Credited
Back in 2025, Harris & Partners, a licensed insolvency trustee firm surveyed more than 1,700 Canadians, and over 57% of respondents said their income is no longer enough to cover day-to-day expenses like food and household bills. For better or worse, credit cards are bridging the gap. The 2024 Canadian Consumer Credit Card Report found that 69% of Canadian adults use credit cards to cover essential purchases—and among those credit card users, a third said they don’t pay off the full balance each month.
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As someone who has been in fulltime Christian ministry for 45 years this year, I am grateful for the many who have donated time, resources, and prayer into the ministries I’ve been a part of. The return on their spiritual investment will only truly be known when the Kingdom of God comes in its fullness. The sense of return on spiritual investment is a Biblical one. In Philippians 4:17 Paul continues to express his gratitude to the believers in Philippi for the support they have provided him for his ministry, when no one else was doing so. He says this to them: “Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account.” The English Standard Version puts the point of his comment a bit more clearly: “Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit.” When we invest our resources into Kingdom work, we can be sure that the most important part of the giving is not actually the gift, as wonderful as that is, but the eternal fruit that results from the gift.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley
The post Words From the Heart for Tuesday, April 14, 2026 appeared first on Bible League Canada.