Focus Your Eyes
You're getting a picture, I'm sure, from Proverbs 4 of how our whole body can be used for the glory of God: our ears and hearts, which is more spiritual thing; but then yesterday, our mouths. And then in verse 25, Solomon says, “Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you.”
Of course, this makes me think of that little kid’s song “Oh be careful little eyes what you see.” We're a very visual people in our time. The world is all about capturing our attention through our eyes. Billboards everywhere. Our phones are little magnets for our eyes, keeping us obsessed and addicted to what we see on our screens.
Guarding Your Gaze: A Reflection on Lust, Greed, and Temptation
I remember once watching a talk by Craig Groeschecl, he was talking about men who struggle with lust, and he said, “You need to learn to bounce your eyes because your eyes are going to drift naturally towards sexual things. And so if they do, then bounce your eyes!” And this verse makes me think of that. Keep your eyes straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you. Don't let your eyes wander to things that aren't of God.
Maybe you need to hear that today. Maybe it is a lust thing. Or maybe it's a different thing. Maybe your eyes are always looking for ways to get more and you're just greedy. And so you're always looking. Searching for more and more and more. Maybe you're just looking for the next thrill in your life. And even if you find it, it's not going to be enough. You're going to keep looking and you're never going to be satisfied. Let your eyes look straight ahead, Solomon says.
And Jesus also spoke about our eyes. Do you remember when he said, “If your right eye causes you to stumble, cut it out and throw it away. It's better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell,” he said. Those are hectic words.
Fixing Your Gaze on God: Finding Direction and Deliverance
If your eyes are constantly roaming away from God maybe you need to come to God and say, “Lord, take my eyes.” In fact, I like what David wrote in Psalm 16:8 - “I keep my eyes always on the Lord”. Or in Psalm 25:5 - “My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only He will release my feet from the snare.”
Keep him in your sight. Go towards him at all times. Not only is he a wonderful sight to behold, but with your eyes on him, you will always be going in the right direction.
