Philippians 2:3-4 – Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. (ESV)

After a bombardment of emails, I took the time to unsubscribe from many sites that had at one time been useful but were now distracting me from relevant information. Not having received my PresbyCan Daily devotional for a period of time, I wondered if I had unwittingly unsubscribed. When I discovered that I hadn't unsubscribed, I became aware that my email program was filtering my devotionals and filing them in a junk mail folder. The filter was corrected, and once again, my devotionals began to flow through on a regular basis, and my morning ritual was restored.

God's Word revealed that this wasn't the only filter in my life that needed realignment. My priorities were subject to a faulty filter as well. In hindsight, I was behaving more like Martha than Mary as outlined in Luke 10:38-42. Over time, my priorities had made a subtle shift from "being" to "doing". Busyness had slowly crept in undetected and had infiltrated my life. It would seem that busyness was in the driver's seat. My self-imposed to-do list was not only outpacing my ability to keep up, but it was also rampant with things of little or no importance to me as a child of God. Irritated by interruptions and robbed of the joy found in Christ, family, and friends, I realized that it was time to turn my to-do list over to Christ.

Through God's great mercy and Paul's letter to the Philippians, joy was reintroduced into my life. Now, when my boys invite me to go for a bike ride, a hike, or a campfire around our fire pit, I relish the opportunity to spend time with them and listen to them share their hearts with me. If a friend or a co-worker needs someone to talk to when life gets messy, I can listen and lift them up in prayer, knowing that God will intervene in some divine way.

God's priorities for us are abundantly more rewarding and divinely balanced with our abilities, interests, and a godly interest in others. With God's grace, interruptions have morphed into opportunities to hear His voice speak richness and joy into my life.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 – All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (ESV)

We are blessed when our filters are aligned with God. Is it time to check your filters?

Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, thank You for Your mercy and grace that are new every day. Lord, we pray that You will keep Your holy Word flowing into our lives each day to keep us aligned with Your perfect will. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

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About the author:

Lisa McLaughlin-Kent <gotzboyz@rogers.com>
Scotland, Ontario, Canada
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