Tuesday, April 4, 2006
I felt like the Big Bad Wolf in that story of Little Red Riding Hood; the part where he's masquerading as grandma. Little Red says, "What big eyes you have!" That was me when I left the ophthalmologist's office the other day. He had put dilating solution in my eyes for an eye checkup. Well, the checkup was over, but my eyes didn't know it. They stayed dilated for the next couple of hours. And everyone said, "What big eyes you have!" It wasn't really much fun. Even though it was basically a cloudy day, I was squinting and I was trying to cover my eyes. With my pupils so big and so wide open, the light was blazing right into my eyes. I wasn't missing anything and it was blinding!
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Eyes Too Wide Open."
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Romans 16:19. It's practical advice from God on how to live and think clean in a dirty world. "Be wise," He says, "about what is good, and innocent about what is evil." You know, there's a lot of junk in the world you just don't need to know about - to let into your heart - to let into your mind.
Let me tell you, the day my eyes were so wide open to everything that could get in - that day was blinding. You don't see better when your eyes are wide open to everything; you actually get blinded by it! That's what happens to your spiritual eyes, to your heart when you let things in that should never let in. It may be that you're being gradually blinded right now by all the images, and ideas, and conversations, and humor, and gossip that you're letting flood into your mind. You are less and less innocent about what is evil. You are more knowledgeable about things God calls sin; things which took His Son to the cross!
Adam and Eve fell for the lie that "the knowledge of good and evil" would be a good thing for them. They ate the forbidden fruit, their eyes were opened to evil, and mankind has been spiritually blind ever since. The fact is that the devil seldom destroys people morally by explosion; by some sudden mega-temptation or sin. He destroys people by erosion; just a slow wearing down by getting you to accept as normal or funny that which is repugnant to God. It might be interesting to recognize the things you are watching and listening to and laughing at that you would have never gotten close to just a few years or maybe even a few months ago. Your eyes are too wide open, and gradual spiritual blindness is setting in.
It's time to stop this slow invasion - this gradual takeover of your senses by thoughts and lifestyles and ideas that are, at their root, anti-Christ. It's time to start turning the page the instant there is a picture or article that portrays or glorifies the darkness. Maybe it's time to cancel some subscriptions, or to stop buying some novels, to change the channel, to pass up the movie, turn your head, leave the room, don't go to that website. You know enough about sin already to poison your soul for the rest of your life. You sure don't need any more information about the darkness!
This isn't about some legalistic lifestyle. It's about wanting a clean heart and a clean mind so much that you won't allow dirt in. It's about loving what Jesus loves and hating what Jesus hates. "Be innocent about what is evil, wise about what is good." Load up on the good stuff, and as Proverbs 4:23 says, "Guard your heart because it is the wellspring of life." With your spiritual eyes too wide open, it won't be the light that will blind you. It will be the darkness!