You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is beneficial.
1 Corinthians 10:23 (NLT)
Series Focus: “Let There Be Light”
Filters. They are everywhere. We filter our water, air, coffee, automobile oil, furnace and the list goes on. We do this to remove impurities, so our bodies and belongings stay in good working order. What if we stopped to think about something we do every day that we aren’t so quick to filter? Many of us never consider actively filtering what we are viewing.
“What do you want to watch tonight?” This might be the number one question families ask one another. We flip through channels looking for something that catches our eye, and we focus in to enjoy it. We browse the shelves of bookstores, or shop online, looking at the covers of novels until one entices our eye enough to give it a try. Shouldn’t we put the same care into what we see as we do the air we breathe or the beverages we drink? I know. It seems harmless on the surface.
Just because something looks good, doesn’t mean it is beneficial to us. Often, we discard the impending damage we do to our hearts, when what we see becomes how we feel, think or act. Please don’t think I am giving a lecture here— I’ve had a long personal trek with this over the past 10 years. God has truly challenged my judgment in this area more than once. By sharing these scriptures with you, I hope you will take a moment to think through your own story. Allowing God to transform the way you “see” things, when everyone else is watching, isn’t an easy task.
The eye is the gateway to our heart and soul. Even though we might not imitate what we watch doesn’t mean it won’t negatively affect our hearts and minds. Let’s look at a few scriptures together:
“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!” Matthew 6:22-23 (ESV)
For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 1 John 2:16 (NLT)
Embedding negative, or immoral, images through our eyes imprints them upon our minds. We find pleasure in them, we begin to crave more, and eventually we become immune to believing they are impurities. But they are. Having a healthy eye, as the scripture states, implies clear vision, a loyal devotion to God. We are fooling ourselves if we think God doesn’t mind or notice.
Of course, we slip. Even in the perfect Garden, Eve’s eye deceived her. She chose pleasure in what she saw over pleasing her Creator. We watch a movie with inappropriate innuendos, foul language or other types of controversial scenes, and we try to convince ourselves it won’t affect us. As we learned from Eve, one bite changed everything.
Sisters, I don’t know if this is a battle you fight. Only you and the Lord know. Ask Him. Be ready to listen. My prayer is for God to remove the desire of all darkness from our sight. May we focus only on pure, praiseworthy, lovely and honorable things—leaving our eyes full of light!
May your vision be clear and may guarding your eyes be as routine as putting the filter in your coffee pot.
Holding Fast to Hope,
Jen
Scripture References: 1 Corinthians 10:23; Matthew 6:22-23; Luke 11:34; Philippians 4:8; Psalm 119:37; Romans 12:2