Oh Be Careful Little Eyes

By: Jenifer Metzger

No one lights a lamp and puts it in the cellar or under a basket,

but on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see its light.

Your eye is the lamp of the body. When your eye is healthy, your

whole body is also full of light. But when it is bad, your body is

also full of darkness. Take care, then, that the light in you is not

darkness. If, therefore, your whole body is full of light, with no

part of it in darkness, it will be entirely illuminated, as when a

lamp shines its light on you.

Luke 11:33-36

I never got into TikTok. For starters, I just didn't want yet another social media, another app, to keep up with. When Instagram rolled out their Reels, I rolled my eyes. It was too much like TikTok and I just wish each social media platform would keep their one thing and quit trying to copy others. I refused to look at the Reels because it irritated me that Instagram now had this TikTok vibe.

I went months ignoring the little icon at the bottom of my screen. Then one day someone I followed share a Reel they created. Since it showed up in my Stories I watched. I actually loved it. So I finally made my way to the icon and watched Reels. I will say that I now enjoy Reels. I've gotten ideas for home decor` and recipes. I absolutely love cute animal Reels. I've seen inspiration and encouragement. So yes, I enjoy watching Reels.

However, among the wonderful tips, tricks, ideas, and laughs, a Reel slides its way in with curse words or provocative dancing. I cringe and swipe up for another cute dog clip. I thought it was no big deal, I wasn't watching the inappropriate videos. Then one day I had a song stuck in my head. A song I have never heard before, couldn't even tell you who the artist is, and it was only about two lines of the song. After an hour or so of these two lines repeating in my head over and over, I caught myself. Shocked. Disgusted. Angry. I wondered how in the world this song was in my head! It was horrible! These two little lines held three curse words and suggested you stop being good and start being bad. Ugh!

We have to be so very careful about what we see and hear. We may think it's no big deal. It's just a song or just a tv show or just a book or just a movie. But these things we see and hear get into our mind and our heart.

When we fill our mind and heart with inappropriate, negative, hateful, or evil things, it eventually becomes normal to you. You don't get shocked by the nudity on tv or curse words in a song. And if you aren't careful, that new normal becomes who you are.

If you take a glass of clean water and put just one drop of red food coloring in, the entire glass will start to turn. You may think it's just one drop, no big deal. But with each added drop, your water gets darker and darker. Sin creeps in with each drop so we must guard our hearts and minds.

Am I telling you to stop watching Reels, or even TikToks? No, but I am telling you to be careful. Don't let sin crouch at your door. Personally, I have made the decision to only watch Reels for people I follow. If a Reel shows up in my Instagram feed or Stories, I know it is someone I follow and since I am very careful and intentional with who I follow, I know it will be safe to watch. Am I telling you to stop watching tv or movies? No, but I am telling you to be careful. Check ratings, read reviews, and most importantly listen to the Holy Spirit.

As the old Sunday School song says:

O be careful little eyes what you see

O 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

O be careful little ears what you hear

O be careful little ears what you hear

For the Father up above

Is looking down in love

So, be careful little ears what you hear

It's time for Share A Link Wednesday! Each Wednesday we invite you to leave a link to your latest blog post in the comments. We still desire to connect women of God with one another and encourage each other in Christ. So grab a cup of coffee or glass of sweet tea, sit back and visit a few blogs. Be encouraged and share your own stories.