The world competes for our attention. A variety of influencers from movie stars to media moguls vie for our interests. Politicians and corporate leaders work to redirect our focus toward their own agendas. With all these voices clamoring to garner our notice, how do we sort through the beneficial messages from the harmful ones? Do we have eyes to see and ears to hear what is genuine and true in spite of all these opposing forces?
Ultimately, we each have choices to make. What information will you allow your eyes to see and ears to hear? Do you have a taste for nutritious food for your soul or garbage meant to destroy you from the inside out? Above all else, determine to feed your mind as you do your body with sustaining fuel.
As you peruse social media, be cautious where you scroll. If the words of a post are questionable, check out the facts with another reputable source before sharing. Stay away from images that are violent or pornographic. This seems obvious and needless to say. But statistics reveal the addictive nature of this type of viewing. And the temptation to ingest more of this information is everywhere. None of us are immune. We must intentionally turn aside and keep our focus on content that nurtures our mind and spirit.
We are what we eat. What goes in our eyes and ears throughout our lives, influences what comes out of our mouths.
You don’t get wormy apples off a healthy tree, nor good apples off a diseased tree. The health of the apple tells the health of the tree. You must begin with your own life-giving lives. It’s who you are, not what you say and do, that counts. Your true being brims over into true words and deeds.
Luke 6: 43-45 Message Bible
Think about your daily diet of words and images. Do they lift up or tear down? Healthy choices promote fruitful lives. If we maintain a sound mind, unpolluted by toxic information, then we are equipped to wade through opposing opinions to discern what is genuine and true.
When we open our eyes to see and ears to hear content which is full of grace, promoting excellence and honor, and offering beauty instead of ashes, the world around us is transformed into a flourishing garden. Everyone benefits from the wholesome fruit we produce. Even though our efforts may seem small, they will surely produce a bountiful harvest of good for generations to come.
So, here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
Romans 12:1-2 Message Bible
One response to “Open Our Eyes to See and Ears to Hear”
As Christians, our lives show others the meaning of being a Christ follower. I don’t think we realize how important is our role of being a model for others and sharing the love of Jesus with those with whom we interact. We are either a good role model or a poor one. Your message points out how important our example is for demonstrating our faith in order to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with others.