Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Lusts of the eyes

“I will set before my eyes no vile thing.” Psalm 101:3
Physiologists tell us that some 80% of the information we absorb every day is visual. Sight is the most powerful of our five senses. Therefore, it is important to bear this in mind when we allow our eyes to wander.
Jesus said, “If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell” (Matt. 5:29). Now, I don’t think this is something to be taken literally, or else every Christian should be blind in both eyes from having gouged them out. Rather, His words convey just how seriously God takes sin. In Matt. 5:28 Jesus says that looking at a woman lustfully is the same as committing adultery with her in your heart. Notice the difference here between ‘seeing’ something (glancing, inadvertently) and ‘looking at’ something (studying, deliberately).
Sometimes we can’t help seeing something – a sensuous TV advert, the ungodly actions of people on the street, etc. The only way to prevent ourselves seeing these things is to walk around blindfolded. However, we can keep ourselves from looking at them. And we can refrain from putting ourselves in risky situations where we might be visually tempted to sin.

No comments:

Post a Comment