Be Careful Little Eyes What You See

I remember this song from my childhood...
Be careful little eyes what you see, be careful little eyes what you see.  For the Father up above is looking down in love, so be careful little eyes what you see. 
It goes on to sing about little ears and what they hear, and little hands and what they do...it's a child's song, but being that I am a child of God, I still say it applies to me. 

I almost titled this post "Why You Can't Find Me on Facebook", but really facebook is just part of my thoughts today;  it all revolves around what we allow our eyes to see. 

Matthew 6:22-23 says, "The eye is the lamp of the body.  If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.  But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.  If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!"

I've learned over the past few months that what my eyes see directly impacts my thoughts, my attitudes, and my relationship with God.  The influences of this world are real and powerful;  the images that our eyes see burn themselves into our memories and recall themselves at just the wrong (or right) times. 

I joined Facebook in 2007.  I had been talking to a friend about a girl I knew in college, and I had expressed a desire to know what was going on in her life at that point in time.  The friend I was talking to introduced me to Facebook, and told me to look there to satifsfy my curiousity.  A whole new world openned up for me;  I "found" people I didn't even know where missing from my life.  It was so cool.  I continued as a part of this "social network" until this year when I decided to simplify.  I desired to remove from my life that which was standing in the way of healing in my marriage, and growing in my relationship with God.  You see, Facebook had become an addiction, and I don't want to be addicted to anything this world has to offer.  Above that, Facebook filled my eyes with things I didn't need to see...status updates, pictures, men and women who might threaten to pry themselves into my life...I didn't need it. 
I am not trying to start an "Anti-Facebook" revolution, and I'm not trying to make you feel bad if you have an account, it's just that for me it was something I didn't need or desire anymore.  As with any addiction though, it's hard to quit.  Everywhere you go businesses are boasting, "you can find us on facebook!", or "friend us on facebook!".  You might miss an invite to something, or might not be the first to know that your old bff from high school is pregnant again.   I've discovered an amazing thing though...listen closely...I DON'T CARE ANYMORE!  Those words are so freeing.  When I pried myself away from checking status updates and oooing and ahhhing over pictures of people's kids that I don't even know, a whole new world openned up for me.  Sure sometimes I miss the "big" news of the day, but those people who are really my friends email me pictures or call to tell me what's new in their lives.  It's a much simpler and quieter way to live, and in everything it's a huge way of guarding my eyes from things that take me to places that I don't need to go. 
Facebook is just one example of the vast world on the internet that can cause you trouble if you're not careful.  It is so dangerously easy to fall head first into the fantasy world that is your computer screen; you can find anything online and anyone.  The internet opens you up to world where cheating on your spouse is convenient and fun.  It's a world in which you can browse scandelous websites and erase the evidence...it's as easy as a push of a button.  The world is at your fingertips, and it's pours in through your eyes. 
I made a choice to do everything I can to fill my eyes with the light;  I don't want to radiate darkness.  I made choice to walk away from the temptation to fall into impersonal, easily covered up sin.  When you make that choice, you start to find out that there is still a world out there...filled with human beings who still desire face to face conversations.  There are still people who will talk to you, email you, or even write you letters with an actual pen.  We are a generation addicted to filling our eyes with whatever we can get our hands on as quickly as possible;  I walked away, and when I did my light shined a little brighter. 

Be careful little eyes what you see...your Father up above is looking down in love...be careful little eyes what you see.