Watch Your Eyes

All that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.

1 John 2:16

Eyetrack III was a study conducted by researchers to determine what people’s eyes do when they land on a web page. If a viewer’s eyes always followed a consistent, predictable path, then web pages could be designed to maximize that natural tendency. (The results of the study showed that the upper-left quadrant got the most first looks, then center top and center middle, then far-right edge and bottom.)

If it’s true that the eye is the window of the soul, then it’s no wonder marketers do everything they can to capture the eyes and hold them in place. And it’s no wonder that the Bible cautions us against the “lust of the eyes.” Things that are wrong can be dressed up to appear as if they are right. When the devil tempted Jesus by showing Him all the kingdoms of the world, Jesus rebuked him with the admonition from Deuteronomy to “worship the LORD your God” and serve “Him only” (Matthew 4:10).

Whatever our eyes want becomes an object of worship. Guard your eyes today against desiring anything but God.

Guarding our hearts begins with guarding our eyes and ears.

JERRY BRIDGES^a