It affects millions of people everyday.
You might suffer from it and not even know it.
It is most prevalent in married men… but if you are human, you are at risk.
It’s symptoms can literally change your life… for better or worse.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I am talking about Degenerative Filter Disorder, or DFD for short. Ok, ok… so it is really an issue that my husband and I made up. After doing much research (ok, two days worth) I really think it is a major problem in our world. My beloved suffers from it. I suffer from it. And I would guess you probably do too.
Let’s break this down. DFD kicks in when we begin to focus on one thing more in our life more than we normally do. Lemme give you a real-life example. Two nights ago, Brandon and I were hanging out in the living room and he was doing research for his potential experience at Ranger school. Whenever a big life event (in his case: profound army stuff) is on the horizon, his “filter” of thoughts, words and actions begins to break down (degenerate) and become less effective. Hence, the higher probability of saying or doing something that might potentially offend his darling wife (yes, that’s me.)
But this is not a husband bashing session, I promise. I am just as guilty. When I was finishing up my masters, specifically working on a big project, I too suffered from DFD. I would be WAY more blunt than necessary in normal conversation, wearing my project-focused attitude on my sleeve.
See. I told you it would change lives. For better or for worse.
Are you still not convinced you have it? Let me list some of the symptoms:
- Focusing on one item or big event
- Memory lapse regarding important people surrounding you
- Lack of focus on other important aspects of life
- Excessive word vomit
- Red Face
- Frustration
- Heavy breathing in the form of exasperated sighs
- Eye rolling
It is not a pleasant disorder. But DFD is something we all battle… Especially when it comes to God. I have noticed that when I start to focus on my eyes on things of this world, my “filter” begins to break down… Negative thoughts come into my head. I am quick to anger. Slow to forgive.
Yeah. Totally unfun. And potentially painful.
But wait! There IS a cure. Instead of allowing our eyes to drift to the people, places or things in our lives, we can keep our eyes focused upward.
Then and only then is our filter strengthened by God. And instead of word vomit, we overflow with love. We more easily handle the big life events.
When we focus on Christ, our DFD essentially goes away… And honestly we don’t even need a filter anymore, because we are focusing our eyes on things that are pure and trustworthy– AKA Christ.
You will no longer be suffering from DFD… but rather be an OWL… Overflowing With Love.
With eyes focused upward,
SGK
“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.” –1 John 2:15-17
