“I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman.”
— Job 31:1 (NIV)
Our eyes are a critical part of our being because they significantly influence our desires. Many of the lustful desires we struggle with today would lose their power if we simply guarded what we allow our eyes to see. Jesus taught that the eye is the lamp of the body, and whatever it focuses on determines what fills the whole body.
“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”
— Matthew 6:22-23 (NIV)
If this teaching is true (and it is), then we must be vigilant about what we expose our eyes to. In the Garden of Eden, Eve looked at the forbidden fruit with lustful eyes. The Bible says, “When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes,” she took and ate of it (Genesis 3:6). That moment of unchecked desire led to the fall.
In our anchor text, Job made a covenant with his eyes to resist looking lustfully at a young woman. This required discipline. On the contrary, David allowed his eyes to wander towards Uriah’s wife, leading him into sin and terrible consequences. In his warning to believers, the Apostle John identifies the lust of the eyes as a key component of worldliness.
“For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.”
— 1 John 2:16 (NIV)
Today, it is more crucial than ever to guard what we watch—whether on social media, in movies, music videos, or other platforms. Avoid feeding your eyes with images of nudity or immoral content. By doing so, you can better resist the temptation of lust. Additionally, guard against feeding your eyes with illicit gain or material envy. Keep your eyes healthy, and your whole body will be filled with light.
Prayer:
Holy Spirit, help me to guard what I see and give me the strength to resist whatever might corrupt my eyes. Thank You, Father, for Your guidance and protection. Amen.
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