Amanda BethSharing the Truths Behind the TRUTH

Jan 10th Monday’s Blog: Guarding Our Eyes

In last week’s blog, I talked about guarding our mind and  touched briefly on watching what we allow ourselves to see. I want to focus this week exclusively on guarding our eyes since whatever we feed our eyes goes into our mind.

Psalm 101:2-3 says “[…] I will walk in my house with blameless heart. I will set before my eyes no vile thing.” In today’s society, it’s hard to hold to this verse. Practically everywhere we go something obscene is advertised. Indecency is so accepted today that we often don’t realize the effects it has on us.

Matthew 6:22-24 explains, “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”

When we receive Jesus, His Holy Spirit comes to live and shine His light in us. Sin is darkness. When we fill ourselves with sin, we cover His light with our darkness. Jesus said in Matthew 5:13-16 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

I always thought this verse meant I needed to share my faith in Christ and not hide it in front of people. I thought it meant I was to announce I was a Christian to everyone I met. That’s not what this verse means. Jesus was telling us when people look at us, they should be thirsty for what they see in us (hence the salt). Putting our “lamp under a bowl” means we cover the Holy Spirit’s light from being displayed through us to draw others to Him. The bowl is the covering of sin we fill our eyes, mind, and heart with.

It doesn’t only cover His light in us to prevent the world from seeing; it covers His light for us to see as well. Like I talked about in the blog titled, “What Does Destroy Us”, we become blind. We become blind to recognizing His voice and His Spirit’s leading. Therefore, we lose sight and direction.

When I gave my heart over to Christ ten years ago, I began laying down things from my old way of living and started replacing them with things that pleased and glorified God. I slowly gave up my secular music in exchange for Christian music and teaching CD’s. I slowly gave up my favorite secular shows and replaced them with my favorite television preachers and family friendly shows that didn’t contaminate my mind. I gave up my worldly magazines and books in exchange for the Bible and other Christian books. I gave up the bars and the partying lifestyle in exchange for Bible studies and fellowshipping with other believers.

At first, giving up these things was difficult, especially giving up my favorite TV shows. I was often ridiculed, even by Christians, for laying things down and restraining from doing certain things. At times, I thought there was something wrong with me for wanting to get rid of those things. It wasn’t until years later did I see the benefits and reasons behind God prompting me to get rid of those things.

As the years went by, I saw the more I gave up, the closer I grew to God, and the deeper our relationship became. Matthew 5:8 says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” I didn’t see God like I see Him now until I rid myself of those things that hindered His Spirit from being displayed in me. I can now recognize God’s voice because I know Him.

This is probably the number one complaint I hear from people, they want to know how to hear from God. If we want to experience all God has for us and want to know Him and recognize His voice, we have to do as He says and keep our eyes, our hearts, and our minds pure.

1 John 2:4-6 says, The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

The popular phrase “What Would Jesus Do” is what we should apply to everything we do. Would Jesus watch the garbage we watch for entertainment today? Would Jesus read the magazines and books we find so entertaining? If we want to grow and hear His voice, and receive the fullness of the life that Jesus died to give us, we have to guard our eyes, our minds, and our hearts.

On that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of Egypt into a land I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands. And I said to them, “Each of you, get rid of the vile images you have set your eyes on, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.” “But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me; they did not get rid of the vile images they had set their eyes on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in Egypt.

Ezekiel 20:6-8

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**Something to think about this week**

I want to challenge you this week to lay down the things God shows you that are hindering you from growing closer to Him. Romans 14:23 in the Amplified Bible explains that whatever does not originate and proceed from faith is sin, meaning that whatever is done without a conviction of its approval by God is sinful. If we don’t have God’s approval on something, we should lay it down. The more we lay down, the more we receive, so the benefits are definitely in our favor.

Let’s keep this verse to remind us to keep our eyes, minds, and hearts pure before God.  I pray we would grow closer to God each and every day.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

James 1:27

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All Bible verses are taken from the New International Version, unless otherwise noted.