Have you ever heard or read something that someone said–perhaps something personally offensive or hurtful–only to brush it off without a second thought after you consider the source? Using a filter of sorts, you are able to classify what’s worthy of your attention and acknowledgement and, just as importantly, what isn’t.  In most matters, it really is all about the source.

And guess what?  God feels the same way.  In fact, He explicitly lays out the ‘do’s and don’ts’ of taking advice, choosing companions and generally going about the business of life.

“BLESSED (HAPPY, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, their plans and purposes], nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down [to relax and rest] where the scornful [and the mockers] gather.”  ~Psalm 1:1, AMP

This straightforward direction from Scripture couldn’t be more needed today.  With all the twisting of truth to try and make it fit popular culture and ungodly standards, we have to give more attention than ever to weighing everything–our beliefs, our values, our decisions–through the filter of God’s Word.  And where what’s being presented doesn’t line up with God’s standard, then we should disregard it and recognize that it has no relevance to our personal lives.

Whether or not the world thinks something is acceptable or the hottest thing smoking should have no bearing on what we, as believers, determine as right and good and moral and clean and decent and honorable.  The two will hardly, if ever, coincide, so there must be a conscious judgement of what’s allowed to influence who we are and how we live.

There are many “voices” in the world and all of them are saying something to either sway us closer to God and His will for us or to drive us further away from His standard.  We have the Greater One living within us to lead and guide us into all truth (John 16; 1 John 4:4), so let’s be more mindful than ever to stay away from the garbage of the world and its ways and to cling to God’s Word and His truth.

Let’s filter everything through THE SOURCE of God’s Word and live out the blessed, happy, enviable lives that belong to us as His people!