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When a person repents and accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, something wonderful happens. 2 Corinthians 5:17 states: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new (NKJV). As a new creation, the person is separated from the world and set apart unto God. That is, however, the starting point in the believer’s spiritual journey. The expectation is that we would grow up in the Lord. That we would grow spiritually so that our lives glorify God.
Growing spiritually does, however, take effort. It also requires discipline so we stay away from things that hinder intimacy with God.
Psalm 119:37 states: Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, And revive me in Your way (NKJV).
When the psalmist asked God to ‘turn away’ his eyes from looking at worthless things, he was asking for help so that his eyes would no longer be drawn to things that had no spiritual value.
Someone may be asking: instead of having our eyes turned away, wouldn’t it be easier to just remove the distraction? Actually no. If every distraction were removed, we would never experience how God helps us stand firm against worldly distractions. We would never learn how to live victoriously in and through Jesus Christ.
Let’s reflect for a moment. In the past few days or weeks, what has captured your attention. For example, were you thinking about things that encourage you to compromise your spiritual values? Or maybe you were looking at things that promote sinful behaviors? If yes, be careful. Because something seems harmless, doesn’t mean that it is harmless. Galatians 5:9 states: A little leaven leavens the whole lump (NKJV). This means that a small dose of what is not good for the believer has the potential to be spiritually damaging.
As believers we must always be on the alert for things that turn our eyes, our attention, away from God. Here’s a tip. Please don’t wait until you are overtaken by worldly distractions before asking for help. God wants us to walk in victory. So take the time now to ask God to turn your eyes back to Him. And ask God to restore you so that you can again live the way that honors God.
Except where indicated, scripture references are from the American Standard Version (ASV), Darby Translation (DARBY), or King James Version (KJV) – all public domain.
