Our Eyes. Part Two

This week, I am re-posting a series I did in early 2022, Our Eyes. It feels important as the message remains urgent. This series was a follow-up to one of the impressions I had for 2022, “911! What Are We Watching?” (To read Impressions for 2022, click the title.)

Our Eyes. Part Two

In Our Eyes: Part One, I asked if you would survey the content that comes through your eyes daily with the Holy Spirit. What did he reveal?

Following is a list that may help with that survey. Several people contributed to this list, and these items are outside of work/necessary watching.

I’m sure we could add many more things to this list. The point is to become aware of the content feeding our whole bodies (heart, soul, mind, and strength) through our eyes. In doing so, we make room for growth in discernment. Our eyes play a critical role in picking our treasures. Matthew 6

IN the fall of 2021, I had three dreams about our eyes and purity and another one in January ’22. I will share those in Part Three. As I began to pray and process the first three dreams, the most offensive thing I was watching or being entertained by was “The Andy Griffith Show.” I’m fairly protective and sensitive to what I watch. But, what the Holy Spirit spoke to me wasn’t just about content. It was about the place of priority it had in my days.

At the time, I would come home at the end of the day, exhausted, heat my dinner, and turn on Andy Griffith before going to bed. Here is what the Lord spoke to me. “I want to be the first place you rest. I want to be the first place in this part of your day.” I immediately got it. And I confess that God was not the king of my exhaustion. I adjusted quickly. I started coming home, lying prostrate on the floor (I was that tired!), and just said hello to Jesus. Giving him what little I had left went something like, “I need you now too, Jesus. You’re my rest. You’re my reset. You’re better than Mayberry.” I didn’t read, journal, or do anything that required me to process information. It was simply an altar of adoration as I was winding down for the day.

It was an interesting transformation. I felt more refreshed in those few minutes than from my experience watching several episodes of anything. I ate less, that was a bonus, and I noticed I was sleeping better, too. Plus, I realized how dangerous it is to let things entertain us in a tired state. All our defenses come down as exhaustion settles in, and we are less likely to turn it off, turn away, change the channel, and say no. In those few minutes of resetting with Jesus before anything else, I sharpened my discernment for the rest of the evening and the next day.

HERE’S the deal. As we process the information that is coming through our eyes on a daily basis, we will come against at least one of the following three things, if not all three. 

IF we are taking steps to turn away from unhealthy food that comes through our eyes (Matthew 6), then the next steps we take turn toward something else. Having healthy eyes is not just about turning away from bad food but also partaking in good food. Isaiah 55 calls us to come and eat, delight ourselves in rich food, seek the Lord, and consider his thoughts and word. That is what we want—for our eyes to delight in rich food.

In 2 Corinthians 3:16, Paul also beckons us to turn to the Lord. We have unveiled access we have to Jesus. If we think of veils as a metaphor, they can represent anything that breaks connection or fellowship with God. When I let the Holy Spirit survey my media intake, he revealed “veils” in my life.

I am in a place where I can’t get enough of Jesus. I’ve grown tired of veils that filter out more of God in my life. I’m fervently searching through my life (with the Holy Spirit). If it’s breaking fellowship with God, I don’t want it over my eyes because it affects my heart, soul, mind, and strength.

If we keep reading what Paul is getting at in 2 Corinthians 3, we find an incredible promise, a sure spiritual principle. Let’s read it.

But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled faces, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. (VS. 16-18)

There is soooo much in the passage. Here’s a breakdown with some bonus commentary.

• Veils are removed when we turn to the Lord. (Thank God!)
• There is freedom. (Bring it!)
• We behold glory. (Finally, something worth looking at it.)
• We are transformed into Jesus’ image. (Yes! That’s what I want.)
• From one degree of glory to another. (Whoa! What?!?!)

I mean, how many degrees are there? Am I settling for partial degrees of glory? How far will the Lord let go with him?

I don’t want to give the wrong impression of what turning away from extra media looks like as we turn to Jesus and behold him. I don’t spend every waking hour in prayer and reading the Bible. I have to work and sleep, too. But, I do poise my heart towards the Lord, as Bob Sorge penned it, so when he speaks at any time during the day, I hear him. I carve out space in the day to be in God’s presence. Yes, I engage with the Bible there and pray. Those are non-negotiable, crucial elements to knowing God. But also, I’m getting really still, no distractions, before him, getting acquainted with his presence.

Why? As I grow towards giving God the first place in every way, discernment gets sharpened. I recognize more often and more quickly if something I am watching, looking at, or fixated on is not healthy food for my heart, soul, mind, and strength. And in those moments, I’m becoming more quick to turn toward the Lord. If nothing else, just to say out loud, “Jesus, you’re more beautiful. I choose you.”

911! There is an emergency regarding the food we feed our whole bodies through the eyes. What is breaking fellowship between us and God? Is it worth it? Jesus, our eyes were made for beholding you!