Recently my son and I were singing the “Oh, be careful little eyes what you see…” song. I’ve been pondering that little song ever since. It’s a Sunday school classic- how many times have we heard it? Sang it? Do we live it?
Proverbs 4:23 admonishes us to diligently keep our heart because what goes in ultimately comes back out. It’s so easy to forget the importance of guarding our heart. We often get so caught up in the cares of this world that we neglect the truth of the Word (Mark 4:14-20). We keep (or tend) our heart by guarding the gates that open to it: our eyes, our ears, and our tongue. Much of what we see, hear, and speak negatively affect us probably more than we realize. The negativity often manifests in our attitude which affects our emotions, our relationships, and our health- every aspect of our being.
We are cautioned not to be conformed to the norms of this world (Rom 12:2). One of the biggest “norms” that is alarming to me is what we see in the media. All sorts of terrible, ungodly things are depicted quite graphically on mainstream tv and radio. I’m often horrified by what bombards our family on a daily basis- especially in so-called family friendly entertainment. Even commercials are getting more and more offensive… For example, “Mommy what does male enhancement mean?” or “Is Viagra a vitamin?” I mean really, between the news, crime shows, commercials, suggestive teen shows, and crude music lyrics the gates to our eyes and ears are being flooded by the very things God tells us to avoid (1 John 2:15-17).
How many times have you caught yourself humming a tune you heard earlier on the radio or worrying about something you saw on the news? Images can’t be un-seen. Sounds can’t be un-heard. They persist in your subconscious. Oh how important it is to guard what comes in! While we can’t bury our heads in the sand, we can drastically limit what comes in our homes with a simple flick of the off button.
Another “norm” seems to be worry and anxiety. Worry is such a dangerous habit that Jesus COMMANDED us not to do it (Matt 6:25-34 and Josh 1:9). We cannot stand in faith and be anxious at the same time. Fear and faith do not mix. Worry is so automatic that we have to re-train ourselves to trust in Him instead. To counteract negativity, God advises us to meditate on His Word (Josh 1:8) . He encourages us to think about positive and happy things (Philp 4:8).
Singing that song reminded me to take seriously the things my family and I expose ourselves to. I am encouraged to be more mindful of what we’re seeing and hearing–and subsequently meditating on.
