“The eyes are the window to the soul,” is a phrase that is
often repeated and there is so much truth to it. We regularly take for granted
the amazing design and miracle of sight. God has given us such a unique window
to engage and encounter the marvels and beauty of His creation.
Yet since the Fall (see Genesis 3), sin has entered our world and tainted our perception of reality (Romans 5). We fail to see the beauty of the Creator and we drift our gaze to the corruption of this world. Even the good we see, we see with infected perspectives.
From the very beginning, when Eve looked on and desired the
forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, humankind has struggled with their eyes.
As man developed new technologies and art forms, he continued to create
distractions and snares for himself.
In our modern digital age, we are bombarded visually every
day. 67% of teenagers have smartphones in America. The average person is
checking their smartphone over 300 times a day. Social Media, Youtube, Netflix
and other streaming video options are capturing imaginations anywhere between
6-9 hours a day for most teens. That’s more time than most of them spend
sleeping.
If we think about our own usage of media, photos, videos, et
al, we probably think we are doing okay with our choices. Yet we often deceive
ourselves or fail to see the impact of what we are seeing and how it impacts
our perception of God, the world and ourselves.
All the ways of a man
are pure in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the spirit. (Proverbs 16:2
ESV)
God knows what’s really going on in our hearts and our
minds, even when we don’t. The Scriptures are full of warnings about what we
look at and protecting our eyes and our hearts:
·
I will not
set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who
fall away; it shall not cling to me. (Psalm 101:3 ESV)
·
Turn my
eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.
(Psalm 119:37 ESV)
·
Let your
eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. (Proverbs
4:25 ESV)
·
If your
right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better
that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into
hell. (Matthew 5:29 ESV)
Jesus spoke of the eye being the “lamp of your body,” and
how what every fills your eyes will determine the direction of your life and
faith (Luke 11:33-36). He talks about “bad
light” that leads to darkness. What in the world does that mean?
Have you ever stepped outside on a cloudless night, looked
up and could barely see any stars because of all the city lights around you?
The city lights clouded your vision from seeing the beauty of the stars.
Similarly, the things of this world shine brightly clouding
our vision of the true Light of Jesus Christ. When we engage social media and
see the worlds “beauty” and think of ourselves as ugly, we have clouded our
vision with “bad light.” When we allow ourselves to enjoy seeing the
destruction of life on Youtube, we allow “bad light” to cloud the true light of
the sanctity and value of human life. When we allow sexual images or videos to
be streamed on our smartphone, we allow the perversions of this world to mask
the true light of Christ and devalue the sanctity of marriage and sex.
But when we guard our eyes and fix our eyes on Jesus, He
says that we will be “wholly bright!” We need to exercise daily the habit of
fixing our eyes on Jesus the author and perfector of our faith. Our prayer for
ourselves and others should be that the “eyes of our hearts be enlightened” in
the knowledge of Jesus (Ephesians 1:16-21).
The daily practice of reading and meditating on God’s Word
is vital to proper sight. When you begin to focus on His Word, it is similar to
driving out into the country to see the vastness and beauty of the starry night
unhindered from the city lights. Pray that God would open your eyes to see
wondrous things from His Word (Psalm 119:18).
Be like Job who was not willing to let his own sight be a
stumbling block to him or others. He made a covenant with eyes not to lust
after a virgin (Job 31:1). Recognize the dangers we face each day, that there
is a media distortion that wants to blind us from the truth. Purpose to avoid
the evil and look to the good.
He who walks
righteously and speaks uprightly…who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed
and shuts his eyes from looking on evil, he will dwell on the heights; his
place of defense will be the fortresses of rocks; his bread will be given him;
his water will be sure. Your eyes will behold the king in his beauty…But there
the LORD in majesty will be for us a place of broad rivers and streams, where
no galley with oars can go, nor majestic ship can pass. For the LORD is our
judge; the LORD is our lawgiver; the LORD is our king; he will save us.
(Isaiah 33:15-17, 21-22 ESV)
Your eyes are the window to the soul, they are the lamp to
your body, and God desires that you allow His goodness and His truth to be your
guide. What are you looking to today?
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