For the last few days Dave has been talking to me about filters for our truck; fuel filters, oil filters, air filters. I’ve learned a lot and have also spent time on the internet looking for the best prices on the best filters.
So, what do filters have to do with you and me?
Dave explained to me that these newer vehicles give you a reading that tells you how much “life” is left in your current filters and when that is exhausted the systems of our truck will work less efficiently and when some of them are used up the truck could stop running. Yikes!
But that really isn’t so uncommon. Several months ago while I was vacuuming, my vacuum just quit. I went to the shed and got my old vacuum and finished the job. I asked Dave to look at the one that quit on me. He asked me to show him the filters. Oh, my goodness, they were completely clogged. Without the proper air flow, clean air, my vacuum was overheating and shut down.
Aren’t we the same way?
With all the fires we’ve had, the air quality was pretty poor, and it made it hard to breathe. There are advisories that tell us not to do anything outside that is strenuous because of it. During pollen season, many of us have to deal with runny noses and shortness of breath.
Spiritually, we operate the same way. Adam was just a clump of dust until God breathed the breath of life into him.
“ The Lord God took a handful of soil and made a man. God breathed life into the man, and the man started breathing.” Genesis 2:7 CEV
Jesus spent forty days with his disciples after his resurrection before He ascended to heaven, and He did something very similar to what the Father did in the garden. He breathed on his disciples, a breath of life, imparting to them the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
“After Jesus had greeted them again, he said, “I am sending you, just as the Father has sent me.” 22 Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” John 20:21-22 CEV
The winds of life get dirty. They blow pollutants into the air we breathe – anger, jealousy, discontentment, wrong thinking. We need to keep our filters clean so we can operate at full capacity – no overheating or restricted operation.
“ But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” Colossians 3:8-10 NIV
When we’re having trouble breathing clean air it may be time to have the Holy Spirit clean our filters so that we can operate at the maximum capacity that God created for us.