THINK VICTORY! WHERE ARE MY EYES

WHERE ARE MY EYES?

"The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong on behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him." 2 Chronicles 16:9

We recently spent several days at Ocean City and did the usual - B & B - beach and boardwalk. I love the shore and all that goes with it - the sound of the ocean, the smells of the boardwalk, watching the parade of people.

For years we enjoyed just sitting on the boardwalk and watching the people walk by. But the parade has changed. Maybe I am more sensitive to what I see in the parade because of the type of ministry I am in. Maybe it is the conviction of the Holy Spirit that is creating in me more of a sensitivity to the parade. And maybe it is the recognition that God is watching the parade with me.

Remember when you were young and you went to the circus? Remember the parade of all the cast members? You saw the clowns, the acrobats and the other cast members. Maybe you've been to a Disney parade or a parade in your town. The participants spent a lot of time finding just the right costumes and it was a wholesome for the entire family.

Maybe that is the reason the parade has changed so today at the shore. There seems to be less and less costumes on the participants. Ocean City has been known for many years as a "Christian" town - unlike some of the other shore locations. Families of all ages were able to enjoy the "wholesome" atmosphere. The boardwalk is still "gambling" free - none of this crazy games. But on this trip, it was obvious that the impact of culture on how men and women dress is a danger zone for most men, and if they are honest, even women.

What was difficult on this trip was the number of men and women walking the boards with very little clothing, particularly during the day. For those of us that struggle with our eyes and thought lives, it is a very dangerous place to be. The concept of bouncing your eyes is much needed - but this was ridiculous. Where do you bounce your eyes to because it was in every direction? One could easily get a migraine headache from your eyes darting to and fro trying to find a safe marker to fix your eyes upon. Basically there are two choices - look down at the ground or look up at the sky!

And maybe it is more complicated because you know that God is watching what you are looking at and so is your spouse. We went to the beach just one afternoon and it was very difficult. Three young ladies walked down in front of us clad in barely anything on and proceeded to undress right in front of Jan, Zach and me. They were bending over snapping their tops and bottoms. How easy it would be very easy to stumble with your eyes, which as King David discovered, was deadly.

Guys - the enemy is going to try every way to capture and arrest your attention. We need to guard our eyes with a vengeance. We need to be sure that we are teaching our wives and kids how to dress properly so that they are not causing others to stumble. I thought about the fact that some guy could be watching one of my girls or wife walking down the boardwalk or laying on the beach. Suppose she is wearing a revealing swimsuit. How would I feel knowing that guys are lusting after her body? Undressing her with their eyes? How does that make you feel? Most of us wouldn't be very happy.

Some of us want to protect our kids, especially our teens from making bad choices morally. But think about the culture they live in. Less is better. More attractive, more revealing. More skin showing is better. It's everywhere - from billboards to TV. I have noticed more and more in getting around to churches that even our Christian teens are dressing more and more provocatively. Here's a thought that you can ponder. When Jesus talked about adultery he broadened the definition by adding the caveat that even if a man LOOKS on a woman with lustful thoughts, he has committed adultery.

Fox News did a brief commentary this week posing the question if a person dreams about having sex outside of his or her partner, can that be considered rape? Jesus knew that the EYE GATE is a powerful vehicle for the mind! A remember - He was addressing a culture where women were dressed up to the eyeball! Imagine what He would say to us if He literally, physically stepped into our culture.

Bottom line - we need to be extremely careful with our eyes. Maybe it begins with bouncing the eyes. Maybe it begins with sharing with your wife how difficult it is for you to be in a spot where there is so much skin available to the eye-gate.

Something to think about.

Great Quote: How many times do we miss God's blessings because they are not packaged as we expected? Anonymous