Indulge

Scheduled Reading:
Nehemiah 4:1-6:14; Psalm 100:3-101:3; Proverbs 20:20-21; Romans 2:17-3:18

Selected Passage:
Psalm 101:3

I will not set any vile thing before my eyes,
I hate the deeds of faithless men
I will not let their deeds stick to me.

They say that the eyes are windows to the soul. I think that in today's culture, the eyes may be a portal into the soul of man. So many VILE things bombard us each day - via the television in our homes, the bil-boards on the roads, the way others dress around us, and the internet - oh the internet.

Some of the visuals we receive are thrust upon us and we can do precious little to thwart it. Other instances of filth set before our eyes, are of our own doing. We put ourselves in the path. Oh, we may shake our heads in disgust and question "why do they have to add THAT to the film?" or "Why do they play THOSE commercials during FAMILY time?" But the truth is, we pay for the services and they simply deliver what we ask for. Set no vile thing before my eyes.

Is it possible, too, that we allow the faithless men (and women) producing this entertainment influence us and our children as well? Is that what the psalmist meant by "cling"? Now don't get me wrong on this point. I am not a separatist. I believe that Jesus saved us from the penalty of sin, to live in the world to influence others toward His gift. That means we do live here and interact with the lost here. It does mean doing business with the lost, going to school with the lost, eating meals with the lost, all in an effort to influence toward the Kingdom of God. It does not mean blindly accepting and indulging ourselves in the ways of the lost.