In my quest for good coffee, a myriad of appliances have come and gone. The drip coffee maker (several brands, several colors), the French press, and even a percolator. Currently, I'm using a French press. I love the simplicity, the taste, and not buying filters is a big plus! My press pushes all the grounds to the bottom and traps them there. 

Filtering is key when making coffee. Unless you like crunching grounds between your teeth, and I don't. In our culture we use the word filter for communicating. We all know someone in our life whose filter is broken, and their words can be harsh or awkward. Whatever they're thinking just comes bubbling out. Much like children.

Filtering is a photography term too. Certain lenses act as filters for lighting. Some allow a lot of light to come through, while others can give an image a more hazy appearance. 

Filters. 

Earlier this year God gave me a new filter (not for my coffee). Until then, I had lived my life filtering decisions, expectations, friendships, and even my view of God through a mistaken identity. Imagine with me how a convicted criminal might view friendship compared to a beloved and famous author. Two people with totally different filters. One sees the world and relationships through a lens of failure, rejection, and punishment. The famous author views the world through acceptance, success, and confidence.

I mistakenly filtered life as "little Miss Not Enough." What helped me feel loved and accepted was performance. I tried so hard to do it all and do it well in hopes of being enough. I didn't understand that I was already complete in Christ. I was his daughter with the label of "righteous" on my because of what Jesus did for me. 

Our adopted son often has little to no filter for his words, which most of the time leaves us in stitches. He also has a damaged filter on his heart. Love and acceptance can't make it through because he is filtering life through abandonment, rejection, and abuse. He sees himself as bad and worthless. How he deals with disappointment, failure, and criticism is based on who he thinks he is. His mistaken identity. 

It will take a time and a lot of love from us and his Heavenly Father to change his filter. I have hope because God is the one who "makes all things new." I want to speak to your heart today. Most of us walking through this broken world have misshapen filters. We live our life according to who we believe we are. My precious son doesn't understand yet who he really is. Do you? 

You may have been told by people in your life, through their words, actions, or lack of love that you are worthless, unacceptable, unlovable, a failure. I want to speak truth to you today. In Christ, we are new creations. He gives us a new identity. We are holy and complete. We do not always live as his daughters. That doesn't change who we are. 

My son will make mistakes, but he will always be my son. Loved and accepted. His success will not determine his worth to me. He is worthy of my love because of who he is. My son. 

You are not who this world has labeled you to be. Take some time to think about your filter and how you live your life. Without the right filter, life is not what Christ meant for you. 

Here is an awesome song about how God makes all things new. He can make something beautiful out of our pain and change our mistaken identity.