Before You Post, Pray
The English language can be tricky. I was thinking about this as I continue to watch my grandchildren learn to read and write. At times, it is very hard to explain words that are homographs. Homographs are words spelled identically yet sound different and have two different meanings. Lead is what someone does from the front. Lead is a metal. You might observe the wind blowing the trees. Or on the golf course you might need to wind a shot around a tree. I used to sing bass in the choir, but I have never been bass fishing. You get my point. Learning all these differences can be confusing for kids and adults!
In social media apps like Instagram, many people might post a picture they took and use the #nofilter in the comments. The idea being conveyed is that this photo is authentic. There have been no adjustments to the object of the picture or in the taking of the picture.
I was thinking about #nofilter as I read a couple verses in 1 Timothy 1 this morning. Paul said that Jesus came to save sinners, “of whom I am the foremost.” Paul was being authentic about his sin. No embellishment about all his achievements here, just an honest confession that he was a sinner.
This reminded me of part of David’s words in Psalm 51: “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight…” David could have used #nofilter as well. He was transparent before God about his sin.
As I thought about this, I then noticed on social media another tendency. Sometimes people rant and rave about other people, about the Democrats, about the Republicans, about most any and everything and then add the words: no filter. I suppose they are being transparent in a way. They want us to know that they are telling it like it is and not holding back.
But as I scrolled social media, those comments seemed to usually be a rant about someone else and not expressed with the humility that Paul and David used in their confessions.
As I consider my grandchildren having to figure out all of the complexity of our English language, I suddenly felt a heaviness that they also have to figure out all of the inconsistencies that we “grownups” demonstrate.
Maybe we need to put a filter on how we express our opinions about others and seek to be more authentic and humble in how we see ourselves.
Father, transform our hearts and minds that we might not act with arrogance and judgment about the sins and mistakes of others. Forgive us when we forget that we too are sinners in need of your grace and mercy. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Your Time with God’s Word
1 Timothy 1:15-17; Psalm 51:3-4, 9-13 ESV
Photo by Pexels
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