Be Careful Little Eyes What You See
There is a popular saying that some people think comes from the Bible, but it doesn’t, and that is, that the eyes are the window to the soul. There is wisdom in this saying and it has many adaptions and variations throughout the world. The three, wise monkeys of the Japanese “Mizaru”, (where one covers his eyes, another his ears and the third his mouth), refer to: “See no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil”. The wisdom behind this is that what you take into yourself, will have an influence on how you behave. Scientists at the Orebro University of Sweden found in studying the eye that patterns in the iris indicate the state of the person’s soul; whether he is warm and trusting or neurotic and impulsive. Maybe the eyes really are the windows to the soul.
What we see is processed by our mind and emotions. Judgments are made, feelings evoked, attitudes formed and actions taken, just through visual observation. The visual arts of film making and photography are a powerful medium in swaying public opinion. Political campaigns spend millions just on creating the right visual image, knowing that what a potential voter sees will influence his decisions. Advertising is the key to many companies success as a product is visually branded into the recesses of the person’s soul. The more emotionally charged the image the more powerful is its effect on behavior and more lasting in one’s memory. The masses can be manipulated through imagery, just as a photograph can be altered in Photoshop. The illusionist’s art is to have you believe that what you think you see is really the way it is. So as the children’s Bible song goes: “Be careful little eyes what you see, for the Father up above is looking down in love, so be careful little eyes what you see.”
One day, while relaxing on the roof top, King David let his eyes wonder through the window of his neighbor’s house. He saw the beautiful Bathsheba leisurely taking her bath. With this visual image, the emotion of lust was conceived. He acted on it and had the woman brought to his house, where they committed adultery. To cover his sin, he had the woman’s husband killed, so that she could become his wife. He was not careful with his eyes and fell into sin. Jesus said that if your eye causes you to sin, it is better to pluck it out than to be thrown into hell because of it. (Mat. 18.9) Jesus calls the eye the lamp of the body. (Luke 11.34) If your eye is healthy and full of light, then your whole body is full of light. “In His light, we see light” (Ps. 36.9)
The internet has brought temptation to our door. Through surfing the net we can see the good, bad and ugly. Many believers use the net to church hop. They have good motives in wanting to know what God is doing in different churches around the world and are blessed with the worship, preaching and overall production of the mega ministries. Yet, in doing so become critical and impatient with their own local church. Temptation feeds on the idea that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. Pornography portrays other women more desirable than your own as does advertising pushes you to buy what you don’t need. Job kept these temptations in check by making a covenant with his eyes.
You will become what you see. David learned the hard way not to set his eyes on anything worthless, (Ps. 101.3), but rather to lift up his eyes to the Lord. Don’t be deviated by the lusts of the eyes, but as Solomon said: “Let your eyes look directly forward…” (Prov. 4.25) Behold the Lord and His glory and you will be transformed into His image.
Scriptures to meditate on:
Luke 11.34; Mat. 18.9; Job 31.1; Ps. 36.9; 101.3; 119.15; 121.1; Prov. 4.25; 23.26